Can Solar Companies Really Be Called ‘High-tech’?

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 23:43 (Renewable Energy World)

Despite the ongoing incremental improvements in conversion efficiencies and cost reduction taking place in the solar manufacturing community, it would be a stretch to call most of the players truly “high tech.” Industry executives like Trina Solar’s Jifan Gao can tout his company’s “emphasis on technology breakthroughs” and its efforts to “remain at the forefront of technology improvements and innovations,” but the amount that Trina and other leading solar companies spend on research and development is paltry compared to truly innovative tech firms like Intel and Applied Materials. Read more

Nottinghamshire PV install overcomes grid limitation barrier

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 16:39 (Solarpowerportal)

Nottinghamshire County Council is using a new system that allows the size of an installed solar array to exceed the grid allowance. Read more

Sun simulator equipment firm Eternal Sun secures €2 million in funding

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 16:38 (PV-Tech)

Dutch start-up, Eternal Sun, a solar simulation technology equipment provider, has raised €2 million in Series A funding. Read more

‘Government fossil fuel subsidies holding back Vietnam solar’

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:30 (PV-Tech)

Solar project developers should be flocking to the large land area and natural solar resources of Vietnam, but government diesel prices are barring the way,  the CEO of a developer operating in the country has claimed. Read more

EUREC elects solar researcher Eicke Weber as President for the term 2015-2017

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:12 (Solarserver)

Prof. Eicke R. Weber, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE, Freiburg, Germany), was elected as EUREC's President for the term 2015-2017. The election was held during the EUREC College of Members and took place on 26 November 2014 in Wuppertal, Germany Read more

REC voted as a top internationally-minded company by the European Commission

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:07 (Solarserver)

REC (Oslo, Norway), the largest European supplier of solar panels, has been voted as the second “Most Internationally-Minded Newcomer” by the European Commission. The awards honor the best European small and mid-sized companies who have gained access to capital markets via an Initial Public Offering (IPO), REC reports in a press release. Read more

UK solar could be subsidy-free by 2020, says German think tank

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:56 (PV-Tech)

Subsidy-free solar in the UK could thrive by the end of the decade, according to a report published by Berlin-based think tank Thema1 and supported by a coalition of European companies. Read more

IHS reveals estimated module shipment leaders in 2014

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:55 (PV-Tech)

In the first report that combines the solar research resources of IHS and NPD Solarbuzz after the recent acquisition, IHS has used estimated recognised PV module shipments from leading suppliers to establish a first look at its top 10 rankings for 2014. Read more

JinkoSolar to supply 21.4 MW of solar PV modules for project in Gujarat, India

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:21 (Solarserver)

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. ("JinkoSolar", Shanghai, China) on December 3rd, 2014 announced that it has supplied 21.4MW of solar PV modules to Harsha Abakus Solar Pvt. Ltd., a solar energy solutions provider and a subsidiary of Harsha Engineers Group, for a ground mounted solar PV project in Gujarat, India. Read more

German think-tank predicts subsidy-free solar in UK by 2020

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:21 (Solarpowerportal)

Subsidy-free solar in the UK could thrive by the end of the decade, according to a report published by Berlin-based think tank Thema1 and supported by a coalition of European companies. Read more

Missouri utility opens 6MW solar power plant

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:05 (PV-Tech)

The O’Fallon Renewable Energy Center in Missouri is now online. Read more

India slashes duties for off-grid rooftop solar equipment

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 11:37 (PV-Tech)

India has scrapped excise duty for off-grid rooftop solar systems. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne supplies 20MW modules for Inner Mongolia contract

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 10:55 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne has won a 20MW supply contract with Hong Solar. Read more

Ouarzazate solar project receives over US$200 million in funding from AfDB

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 3:17 (PV-Tech)

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved two loans, totaling €176 million (US$216 million) for the second phase of the Ouarzazate solar project in Morocco. Read more

Why Is a Three-Week Production Tax Credit Extension Worthless?

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 17:46 (Renewable Energy World)

For the last year, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and bipartisan wind energy supporters in Congress have been clear that the Production Tax Credit (PTC) would have to be extended through the end of 2015 to have any value for the more than 50,000 Americans who work in the wind industry and the 500 wind turbine manufacturing facilities in 43 states. Read more

Students Shine a Spotlight on Geothermal Energy and Discover Career Pathways

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:12 (Renewable Energy World)

The consensus among advocates of geothermal energy seems to be that geothermal energy is a great alternative resource, but not enough people know what it is. Student competitors in the 2014 National Geothermal Student Competition, were faced with the fundamental challenge of addressing this issue. Read more

Preparing the Next Generation for Skilled Jobs in the Clean Energy Sector

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 15:23 (Renewable Energy World)

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program, created and managed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), is providing valuable support to Massachusetts’ growing clean energy economy. By connecting Massachusetts students and recent graduates with paid internships at clean energy companies across the state, MassCEC is helping to ens Read more

NextEra Buys Hawaii’s Biggest Utility To Study Renewable Energy in the Island State

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 14:54 (Renewable Energy World)

NextEra Energy Inc., North America’s largest generator of wind and solar power, will take over Hawaii’s biggest electricity company in what the company sees as a proving ground for its push into green energy. Read more

NextEra Energy and Hawaiian Electric Industries to combine; plan to spin off ASB Hawaii

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 14:06 (Solarserver)

NextEra Energy, Inc. (Juno Beach, Fla., US) and Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HEI, Honolulu) on December 3rd, 2014 announced a definitive agreement under which the companies have agreed to combine. The transaction, which is valued at approximately USD4.3 billion, includes the assumption of USD1.7 billion in HEI debt and excludes HEI's banking subsidiary, the companies report. HEI separately announced a plan to spin off ASB Hawaii, the parent company of American Savings Bank (ASB), to HEI shareholders and establish it as an independent publicly traded company. Read more

UK capacity market faces legal challenge for ‘needlessly driving up bills’

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:53 (Solarpowerportal)

UK clean-tech startup, Tempus Energy, has submitted a legal challenge to the European General Court which argues that the Capacity Market represents an unlawful subsidy. Read more

Yingli Green Energy announces changes to its board of directors

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:50 (Solarserver)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited ("Yingli Solar", Baoding, China), the world's largest vertically integrated solar panel manufacturer, on December 3rd, 2014 announced that Mr. Zongwei Li has resigned from his position as executive director on the Company's board of directors. Read more

Thai entrepreneur scoops prestigious UN award

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 13:01 (PV-Tech)

Thai solar entrepreneur, Wandee Khunchornyakong, has been recognised with the ‘Momentum for Change – Women for Results’ award from the United Nation’s Climate Change secretariat. Read more

Hawaii Electric and NextEra Energy ‘combine’ in US$4.3 billion deal

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:52 (PV-Tech)

Renewable energy developer NextEra Energy is set to merge with Hawaii’s main electricity provider, Hawaiian Electric Industries, in a deal worth around US$4.3 billion, it was announced yesterday. Read more

Abengoa Yield’s Mojave 280 MW CSP plant declares commercial operation

Thursday, 12.4.2014 - 12:06 (Solarserver)

Abengoa Yield, the sustainable total return company that owns a diversified portfolio of contracted assets in the energy and environment sectors, on December 2nd, 2014 announced that Mojave, the 280 MW gross CSP plant located in California, has declared commercial operation on December 1st. Read more