IHS Technology: Huawei makes largest 12-month gains in the global PV inverter market

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 13:07 (Solarserver)

According to the latest “PV Inverter Market Tracker” report from the Power and Energy service of IHS Technology (El Segundo, California, US) SMA, ABB, and Omron lead the global solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter market-share rankings. However, over the first three quarters of this year, Chinese telecommunications company Huawei made the largest gain in global PV inverter market share, with just over 2 percentage points growth. Read more

Shakeup in PV inverter company rankings continues in Q3 – IHS

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 11:08 (PV-Tech)

In the latest ‘PV Inverter Market Tracker’ report from market research firm, IHS the global PV inverter market continues to remain highly dynamic and regional players in booming markets making the most gains. Read more

SolarCity ties up US$400 million PV fund with Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 17:01 (PV-Tech)

SolarCity, the largest residential installer in the US, and Bank of America Merrill Lynch have set up a US$400 million fund to finance PV projects over the course of the next year. Read more

Solar-Fabrik hit with sales and ASP decline in Europe

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 16:47 (PV-Tech)

Germany-based PV module manufacturer, Solar-Fabrik, has said it expects a heavy impact on its EBIT margin for 2014, after experiencing a slowdown in sales and a further squeeze on average selling prices (ASP’s) in the current fourth quarter. Read more

LDK Solar’s management regain control from liquidators

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 16:19 (PV-Tech)

The joint provisional liquidators (JPL’s) of Cayman Islands registered LDK Solar are to hand back management of the bankrupt firm to its management. Read more

SAS sales dip again in November

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 16:04 (PV-Tech)

Taiwan-based solar wafer producer, Sino-American Silicon (SAS) reported a two month sequential decline in sales. Read more

Sungrow PV inverters used in Canadian Solar developed US project

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 15:40 (PV-Tech)

The TA Acacia Project, a 28.4MWdc plant in Lancaster, California developed by Canadian Solar was supplied with SG800MX PV inverters from Sungrow USA Corp, the US subsidiary of China’s largest PV inverter company, Sungrow Power Supply Co. Read more

SolarWorld receives multiple sustainability awards; PV company scores with GREEN BRANDS, Carbon Disclosure Project and Solar Scorecard

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 13:01 (Solarserver)

In October 2014, SolarWorld AG was again awarded the “GREEN BRAND Germany” quality seal. Only brands proven to practice environmentally friendly production and that are committed to a high degree of sustainability and climate protection receive the award. Read more

India uses coal tax to help fund 21GW of new solar development

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 12:46 (PV-Tech)

The Indian government has today announced the approval of 21GW in new solar development costing over US$800 million. Read more

Abengoa and Hyundai to develop power projects together

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 12:09 (PV-Tech)

Spanish renewable power firm Abengoa and South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction will collaborate to develop power projects with an emphasis on solar thermal. Read more

New analysis: Solar power without initial investment becomes reality for mining companies

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 12:07 (Solarserver)

Remote mines are often perfectly suited for solar-diesel-hybrid power plants because they possess the necessary land, have a high load during the day and are challenged by high electricity prices from diesel generators. Solar power could be up to 70% less expensive than electricity from diesel generators. THEnergy – Dr. Thomas Hillig Energy Consulting (Munich, Germany) reports in a press release. Given that many mining companies have faced financial issues for the last years, the main bottleneck is financing, THEnergy emphasizes. Read more

Another Japanese golf course turns solar with 42MW project under construction

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 11:42 (PV-Tech)

Another large-scale solar project is being built on a former golf course in Japan, a 42MW DC power plant financed in part by the energy investment division of US multinational General Electric (GE). Read more

New study addresses renewable energy, solar market barriers an opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 11:12 (Solarserver)

The region of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is already a global low-carbon leader in terms of power generation from hydrological and biomass resources. Declining costs, maturing technologies, and vast untapped potentials including geothermal, solar photovoltaics (PV), and wind offer an unprecedented opportunity to further develop the market for other renewable energy sources in the region. Continuing to support sustainable energy investment will provide LAC with the opportunity to address key economic, social, and environmental challenges and help countries mitigate and adapt to climate change, according to the latest report from the Worldwatch Institute (Washington Read more

University of Toronto researchers develop new technique for spraying solar PV cells onto products

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 10:47 (Solarserver)

Illan Kramer and colleagues at the University of Toronto have invented a new way to spray solar photovoltaic (PV) cells onto flexible surfaces using miniscule light-sensitive materials known as colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) - a major step toward making spray-on solar cells easy and cheap to manufacture. “My dream is that one day you’ll have two technicians with Ghostbusters backpacks come to your house and spray your roof,” says Kramer, a post-doctoral fellow with the Ted Sargent group in The Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto and IBM Canada’s Research and Development Centre. Read more

Uganda in line for first 20MW of large-scale PV

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 10:46 (PV-Tech)

Uganda has fired the starting gun on its bid to become a large-scale solar player with the selection of four projects totalling 20MW. Read more

US-China trade deal still possible despite claims of breakdown

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 10:32 (PV-Tech)

SolarWorld has claimed that talks to find a settlement in the US-China trade row ended in July however PV Tech understands hopes for a deal have not been entirely extinguished. Read more

Freewatt gains planning permission for 8.9MW Stow solar farm extension

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 10:04 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar developer Freewatt has secured planning permission for a 10MW solar farm at Stow, Lincolnshire. Read more

GE Energy Financial Services, Pacifico Energy to build second joint solar PV project in Japan; 42 MW in Okayama prefecture

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 7:21 (Solarserver)

GE unit GE Energy Financial Services (Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.) is continuing its expansion into the Japanese solar photovoltaic (PV) market, completing its second solar project financing transaction with Pacifico Energy, a Tokyo-based utility-scale solar project developer and subsidiary of Virginia Solar Group. GE Energy Financial Services invested alongside Virginia Solar Group in Mimasaka Musashi, a 42 megawatt (MW) PV plant under construction in the prefecture of Okayama. Read more

First Solar enters residential, community solar PV market with investment in Clean Energy Collective

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 7:17 (Solarserver)

First Solar Inc. (Tempe, Arizona, US) and Clean Energy Collective (CEC, Louisville, Colorado, US) on December 10th, 2014 announced that they have formed a strategic partnership to develop and market community solar photovoltaic (PV) offerings to residential customers and businesses directly on behalf of client utilities. Community solar utilizes sizable ground-mounted installations that provide clean energy to a utility's grid, and allows consumers the ability to buy into a specific community installation and directly benefit from the solar power generated by that resource. Read more

Financing partnership drives North Carolina's solar boom, adds a total of 18 MW of PV capacity

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 7:11 (Solarserver)

Three new utility-scale solar PV farms have been added to North Carolina's energy mix, propelled by a partnership between Washington, D.C.-based solar investment and financing firm Sol Systems, National Cooperative Bank, and Strata Solar. The projects, totaling 18 MW of solar capacity, are located on rural farmland in Erwin, Efland, and Hickory and will provide solar power for over 1,800 homes annually. Read more

When It Comes to Large-Scale Renewable Progress, Preparation Is Key

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 19:20 (Renewable Energy World)

The Renewable Energy World, North America conference sessions began Tuesday afternoon, and the Large Scale Renewables Track emphasized lessons learned from which every technology can benefit. The session included insights from the geothermal, wind and bioenergy fields, and each panelist offered insights that eclipsed topics ranging from project siting to stakeholder communications to on-site safety, which all boiled down to one major lesson: preparation. Read more

Renewable Energy Expanding in South Africa

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 18:56 (Renewable Energy World)

South Africa plans to triple electricity production from renewable-energy sources to help alleviate power shortages that caused rolling blackouts throughout the country in recent weeks. Read more

Flying on Green Energy

Thursday, 12.11.2014 - 14:29 (Renewable Energy World)

The global aviation industry has committed to aggressive goals to reduce its GHG emissions, including achieving carbon neutral growth by 2020 and reducing emissions by 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. Global renewable products company Amyris and major French energy company Total, have partnered to produce and deliver a new renewable biofuel for the aviation industry that will help it meet these aggressive goals. Read more