Tool Order: SCHMID wins major multi-busbar connector line order in Asia

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 11:14 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturing equipment specialist, SCHMID Group has secured orders for three ‘Multi Busbar Connector’ (MBC) lines for the production of novel highly efficient PV modules from an unidentified customer in Asia that was said to be a ‘premium’ producer of both solar cells and modules. Read more

Suntech looks to quadruple Benelux market share by 2015

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 11:08 (PV-Tech)

Chinese module manufacturer Suntech is targeting an increase in its market share for PV modules in the Benelux countries from 3% to 13% by 2015. Read more

PV production technology: SCHMID Group announces order from an Asian manufacturer of solar cells and PV modules

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 10:51 (Solarserver)

A well-known Asian premium manufacturer of solar cells and PV modules now has placed an order with the SCHMID Group (Freudenstadt, Germany) for the construction of three Multi Busbar Connector (MBC) lines, the SCHMID Group announced on December 8th, 2014. Instead of the previous standard of three wide ribbons these systems apply 8 to 15 thin busbar wires. These wires improve the cell efficiency through reduced shadowing and thereby increase the module power, the technology provider notes. The MBC technology of SCHMID also allows savings of silver and thus a reduction in material costs. Read more

JA Solar modules added to China led Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Pakistan

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 10:36 (PV-Tech)

Major PV manufacturer JA Solar has shipped 100MW of PV modules to the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Pakistan. Read more

Photovoltaics in Australia: ARENA funding leads to more than 40% record solar PV efficiency

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 9:07 (Solarserver)

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on December 8th, 2014 congratulated researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) for being the first in the world to convert more than 40% of the sunlight hitting a solar PV system into electricity. The record solar photovoltaic (PV) efficiency was first achieved in outdoor tests in Sydney, before being independently confirmed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at their outdoor test facility in the United States. Read more

What Rain? REWNA Attendees Tour the Orlando Utility Commission’s First Community Solar Garden

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 21:42 (Renewable Energy World)

Despite being what many would consider a not-so-ideal day for a solar tour, a bus filled with eager Power-Gen International and Renewable Energy World North America attendees battled the rainy elements and made its way to the Orlando Utility Commission’s (OUC) first community solar garden. Read more

ITC Hears Testimony on Expanded China Solar Dumping

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 19:25 (Renewable Energy World)

Considering further retaliation against Chinese solar dumping, the U.S. Commerce Departments’s International Trade Commission today held hearings in Washington advancing the final phase of its countervailing duty and antidumping duty investigations. Since its imposition of preliminary anti-dumping and counterveiling duties ranging from 30 to 250 percent, Commerce has expanded the case’s scope to include any products assembled in China, regardless of where the bulk of manufacturing occurred, including Taiwan. Final comments to the ITC are due January 15, 2015. Read more

Trina buys Shuntai stake to finance growth plans

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 17:31 (PV-Tech)

Trina Solar, newly crowned as 2014’s top module manufacturer, is buying a minority stake in Shuntai Leasing in a move aimed at underpinning its downstream and manufacturing growth plans. Read more

Solarcentury to complete 20MW Derbyshire solar farm

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 15:58 (Solarpowerportal)

Solarcentury has won planning permission for a 20MW solar farm in Derbyshire. Read more

ITC hearing marks beginning of end to US-China trade case

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 15:34 (PV-Tech)

Witnesses from SolarWorld, Trina, Yingli, SunEdison, Gintech and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) will give evidence in Washington today as the US-China trade row approaches its conclusion. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne and Q CELLS announce merger to create new PV market leader

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 14:52 (Solarserver)

Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (Shnaghai, China), Hanwha Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (HSH) and Hanwha Q CELLS Investment Co., Ltd. (Thalheim, Germany) on December 8th, 2014 announced a definitive share purchase agreement to create a new global leader in solar power. The combined business will be the largest manufacturer of solar cells with a capacity of 3.28 gigawatts (GW) and will have a broader international footprint covering the largest and fastest-growing solar photovoltaic (PV) markets in the world, Hanwha emphasizes. Read more

Six arrests made in solar fraud investigation

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 14:02 (Solarpowerportal)

The serious fraud office (SFO) is investigating solar installer, Solar Energy Savings Limited. Read more

Foresight acquires UK’s ‘largest solar’ plant

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 13:07 (Solarpowerportal)

The Foresight Solar Fund has agreed to buy the 46MW Landmead solar farm, the largest in the UK according to the investor. Read more

Foresight acquires UK’s largest solar plant

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 13:07 (Solarpowerportal)

The Foresight Solar Fund has agreed to buy the 46MW Landmead solar farm, the largest in the UK. Read more

Foresight Solar Fund buys UK’s largest PV project

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 12:45 (PV-Tech)

The Foresight Solar Fund has agreed to buy the 46MW Landmead solar farm, the largest in the UK. Read more

Canadian Solar could buy Sharp’s US solar developer Recurrent Energy

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 12:30 (PV-Tech)

Further reports have emerged that Sharp is nearing the sale of US solar developer Recurrent Energy, with news outlets claiming a deal has been agreed with Canadian Solar worth about ¥30 billion (US$247.5 million). Read more

Hanwha to create 3GW cell giant with Q CELLS and SolarOne merger

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 12:27 (PV-Tech)

The merger of Hanwha SolarOne and Hanwha Q CELLS is set to proceed in a deal estimated to cost Hanwha SolarOne around US$1.2 billion in an all-stock transaction. Read more

Yingli and Huawei partner to push Thai solar rollout

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 11:32 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Yingli will develop utility-scale and distributed solar projects in Thailand as part of a consortium that includes Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. Read more

JinkoSolar’s South African PV production facility complies with industry standards in OST Energy independent technical review

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 10:45 (Solarserver)

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) on December 8th, 2014 announced that its South African solar photovoltaic (PV) module production facility is in line with industry standards in an independent technical review conducted by OST Energy (Brighton, UK). Read more

Canada launches anti-dumping investigation into Chinese solar

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 10:17 (PV-Tech)

The Canadian government is to launch an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese modules and laminates. Read more

ITOCHU announces “mega” solar power business at 37 MW Shin-Okayama PV plant in Okayama city, Japan

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 8:54 (Solarserver)

ITOCHU Corporation (Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan) on December 8th, 2014 announced that it plans to construct a “mega” solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant on land in Okayama city, Okayama prefecture, and that it will commence the solar power generation business through an operating company established jointly with Fuyo General Lease Co., Ltd. and Ene One Solar Co., Ltd. (a joint venture of Saisan Co., Ltd. and Shinwa Energy Inc.). The operating company concluded a loan agreement pertaining to the project with a group of banks represented by Mizuho Bank, Ltd., which is the managing underwriter. Read more

JA Solar supplies 100 MW of PV modules to large-scale solar PV farm in Pakistan

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 7:15 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) on December 8th, 2014 announced that it shipped 100 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to the first large-scale solar farm in Pakistan. Occupying 500 acres of land, the PV plant is located within the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Read more

SPI Solar announces agreement to acquire and develop a 9.9 MW solar PV project in New Jersey

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 6:45 (Solarserver)

Solar Power Inc. (SPI, Roseville, California, US) on December 5th, 2014 announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire from Shotmeyer Solar, LLC 100% of its membership interest in Beaver Run Solar Farm, LLC (BRSF). BRSF has obtained certain approvals for development of a 9.9 megawatt DC solar photovoltaic (PV) project site in Lafayette, New Jersey. As part of the agreement, SPI has also executed a long-term ground lease with Shotmeyer Solar, LLC for the land dedicated for the solar project. The transaction is expected to close prior to year-end 2014. Read more

Generating Heat and Power from Waste Is Focus of BioEnergy Tour during REWNA

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 21:32 (Renewable Energy World)

Forward-looking Disney doesn’t fool around when it comes to waste. In fact, the billion-dollar operation has been separating its waste for more than 20 years and recently began using its organic waste to generate power. How that power is created was the focus of Monday’s tour of the Harvest Power Orlando Energy Garden. Read more

Could Siting New Wind Farms Be Simply about Finding the Right Supply-Demand Match?

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 12:44 (Renewable Energy World)

Supply and demand — the general economic model that makes the world spin — underpins how far clean renewable energy can go to satisfy our needs. Wind power supply is dependent upon sufficient wind speeds being present to spin turbines. Daily wind speed patterns over land are created by thermal heat exchanges with oceans, yet scientists and engineers involved in energy production conventionally treat wind speed as a random variable governed by probability. An alternative approach to wind power evaluation, one that relies on daily and seasonal pattern distinctions in the observed data, presents the opportunity to more tightly match the available wind power supply and energy Read more

In Clean Energy, Macro Trends Trump Midterm Political Winds

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 21:39 (Renewable Energy World)

Let's review some notable news headlines from the month of November. Read more

Energy Storage Technology Fills Utilities With Fear and Promise

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 13:35 (Renewable Energy World)

Here’s why something as basic as a battery both thrills and terrifies the U.S. utility industry. Read more

German research project couples intelligent energy management, PV systems and heating in the home

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 7:09 (Solarserver)

SMA Solar Technology AG (Niestetal, Germany), Vaillant (Remscheid, Germany), and RWTH Aachen (Germany) are conducting a joint project to research the possibilities of intelligent coupling of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with CHP (combined heat and power) plants and heat pump systems. The goal of the “PV-KWK” project is to develop optimized system solutions that create the most effective combination of photovoltaics and CHP plant/heat pump systems, open up synergies, and are suitable for multiple applications in buildings. Read more

Allianz Renewable Energy Fund acquires 8 MW Italian PV plant SiSen

Monday, 12.8.2014 - 6:49 (Solarserver)

The infrastructure equity team at Allianz Global Investors acquired the Italian solar park SiSen on behalf of the Allianz Renewable Energy Fund, S.A. SICAV-SIF (AREF). The solar photovoltaic (PV) plant is located in the sunny region of San Giovanni Rotondo, Puglia and, according to Allianz, produces roughly 12,280 megawatt-hours of solar power annually. Read more