Enphase reports record shipments & revenues, improved profitability in Q4 2013 results

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 23:58 (Solarserver)

Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) has released results for the fourth quarter of 2013, reporting a 16% year-over-year increase in revenues to a record USD 67.1 million. The company shipped 107 MW-AC of its microinverters during the quarter, another record. Read more

Waste management for PV modules in EU now mandatory

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 12:58 (PV-Tech)

PV producers in Europe face significant changes to the way they handle waste solar modules after an EU-wide change of disposal rules came into effect last week. Read more

Japan's METI finds mixed results from investigation of PV projects under feed-in tariff

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 8:40 (Solarserver)

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Technology and Industry (METI) has reported results from an investigation into the status of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects registered under the nation's feed-in tariff, finding many to be abandoned or to not have yet met its criteria. As of the end of October 2013, 24.5 GW of projects were registered for participation in the feed-in tariff, but only 5.85 GW had actually been built. Concerns that many of these projects were speculative in nature and would never be built prompted the review by METI. Read more

Mega projects make up 68% of 95GW global project pipeline: NPD Solarbuzz

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 18:44 (PV-Tech)

PV projects in excess of 50MW now represent 68% of the global project pipeline, however their enormous scale means they not be the most interesting segment for developers. Read more

Solar farm planning refusal overturned on appeal

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 16:27 (Solarpowerportal)

A decision to strip a 5MW solar farm in Silverstone, Northamptonshire of planning consent post-construction has been quashed. Read more

JA Solar achieves greater than 19% multicrystalline silicon solar PV cell efficiency

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 15:33 (Solarserver)

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. (Shanghai) has announced that its multicrystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cells have achieved conversion efficiencies higher than 19%. The company credits advanced cell technology developed by its research and development (R&D) team. Read more

What's a Utility Demand Charge and How Commercial Solar Can Help

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 15:33 (Renewable Energy World)

If you’re an operations manager of a commercial building or industrial facility, then you probably know that a major portion of your monthly bill can come from so-called “demand charges.” The good news is that installing solar can bite a good chunk off those charges, and combining solar with new energy storage technology can deliver even more savin Read more

Scatec Solar breaks ground on East Africa's first utility-scale solar PV plant

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 15:08 (Solarserver)

Scatec Solar (Oslo) has begun construction work on an 8.5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Rwanda, after closing on USD 23.7 million in financing. The plant will be the first utility-scale PV plant in East Africa. Scatec has partnered with Gigawatt Global Coöperatief (Amsterdam) to develop the plant, which will be owned by Scatec Solar and Norfund, the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries. Read more

First Solar hands out annual supplier awards

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 14:01 (PV-Tech)

First Solar’s third annual NOVA awards for suppliers have been handed out, with the thin-film manufacturer recognising the contribution of four companies in “providing enduring value to First Solar’s manufacturing and EPC project activities”. Read more

Solar tracking sites complete in Los Angeles

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 13:53 (PV-Tech)

Three solar tracking sites in Lancaster, Los Angeles County, California are now producing power. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne raises US$21 million from share issue

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 13:30 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne has raised US$21 million from a share issue. Read more

Scatec Solar to build East Africa’s first utility-scale PV plant in Rwanda

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 11:57 (PV-Tech)

Norway-based Scatec Solar is to build the first utility-scale PV plant in Rwanda, also said to be the first of its kind in East Africa. Read more

Jordan government approves PPAs for 200MW

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 11:30 (PV-Tech)

The government of Jordan has approved power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 200MW of new solar plants in the country. Read more

Tamil Nadu sets aside USD 1.45 billion for power sector programs, proposes increase in solar purchase obligation

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 9:34 (Solarserver)

The Indian state of Tamil Nadu has announced that it will provide INR 5,400 crore (USD 870 million) for tariff subsidies, as well as covering INR 2,000 crore (USD 320 million) of liabilities owed by Tamil Nadu Generation and Transmission Company (TANGEDCO, Chennai, India) in its fiscal year 2014–2015 budget. Additionally, the government plans to set up a “green energy transmission corridor” at a cost of INR 1,593 crore (USD 260 million), which will be built with the financial assistance of German development bank KfW (Frankfurt, Germany). Read more

Same Time Holdings to reinvent itself as solar PV developer following acquisition by GCL-Poly

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 9:21 (Solarserver)

GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd. (Hong Kong) has agreed to buy USD 190 million in new shares of printed circuit board maker Same Time Holdings Ltd. (Hong Kong), which will give GCL-Poly a 68% share in the company. Same Time has been struggling with labor costs in the printed circuit board space, and seeks to change its focus to development, acquisition and investment in solar photovoltaic (PV) and other renewable energy projects and assets. The company plans to use the funds raised by the share subscription to make the move. Read more

Project to build the first modular large-scale battery storage system launched in Aachen

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 9:17 (Solarserver)

RWTH Aachen University is coordinating an effort of SMA Solar Technology AG (Niestetal, Germany), utility E.ON (Düsseldorf, Germany), and battery makers Exide Technologies (Milton, Georgia, U.S.) and Beta Motion GmbH (Pulheim, Germany) to build a 5 MW modular battery storage system by the end of 2014. SMA states that the M5BAT system's power class and modular design make it the first of its kind globally, and offer a number of potential applications. The first phase of the project will focus on integration of renewable energy sources and testing of a decentralized supply of control power to stabilize the grid, as well as facilitating electricity trading. Read more

EnergyTrend: Impacts of U.S. solar investigation will not be seen until March 2014

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 8:46 (Solarserver)

Trend Force's (Taipei) EnergyTrend division reports that the U.S. trade investigation into imports of Chinese and Taiwanese solar photovoltaic (PV) products will not have impacts on Taiwanese PV makers until March 2014. The company reports that major Chinese Taiwanese PV makers are accelerating shipments to the U.S. and Japan, and that high sales revenue is expected for February 2014. Read more

First solar PV plant under new EBRD facility commissioned in Ukraine

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 8:31 (Solarserver)

Rengy Development LLC (Kiev) has commissioned a MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Ukraine as the first PV plant to be supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD, London) Ukraine Sustainable Lending Facility (USELF). Through the EUR 100 million (USD 140 million) facility, ERBD aims to support 200 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually of renewable generation. This will be accomplished through a combination of commercial financing, technical support and concessional grant co-financing. Read more

CfDs could derail growing interest in UK solar investment

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 7:27 (Solarpowerportal)

The switch to the contracts for difference (CfD) regime for large-scale solar in the UK could deter some investors, a City lawyer has warned. Read more

Vestas’s Biggest Turbine Picked by Dong for U.K. Offshore Farm

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 18:26 (Renewable Energy World)

Dong Energy A/S will install Vestas Wind Systems A/S’s biggest wind turbines at an offshore power generation plant in U.K. waters in what would be the first order for the 8-megawatt machine. Read more

Vestas’s Biggest Turbine Picked by Dong for UK Offshore Farm

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 18:26 (Renewable Energy World)

Dong Energy A/S will install Vestas Wind Systems A/S’s biggest wind turbines at an offshore power generation plant in U.K. waters in what would be the first order for the 8-megawatt machine. Read more

Geothermal 2014 Outlook: As US Market Slows, A Global Focus Grows

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Following another year of modest growth, the geothermal industry will continue to fight the good fight in 2014 by focusing on key issues that have hindered its massive global potential. Read more

DECC reveals changes to Green Deal cashback scheme

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 19:24 (Solarpowerportal)

Homeowners taking out Green Deal measures could claim up to £4,000 under the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s revised Green Deal cashback scheme. Read more

SunPower nearly doubling capital expenditure in 2014

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 17:44 (PV-Tech)

Major PV energy provider SunPower has guided capital expenditure (capex) plans for 2014 that are nearly double spending in 2013. Read more

Navigant: Utility-scale storage market will exceed US$2.5 billion by 2023

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 17:20 (PV-Tech)

The utility-scale energy storage market will exceed US$2.5 billion in revenue by the year 2023, according to forecasting by Navigant Research, the research arm of consultancy Navigant. Read more

Readers Respond Day 1: Can We Reach 100 Percent Renewable Energy?

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 15:20 (Renewable Energy World)

Several countries have announced ambitious goals to be powered completely by renewable energy, while other nations set smaller, incremental goals. These high aspirations have sparked quite a debate amongst industry experts, and we here at Renewable Energy World are curious to hear what you, our readers, have to say. Read more

Brits suffering from ‘split personality’ on energy saving behaviour

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 14:41 (Solarpowerportal)

A survey has revealed that consumers are not taking their good energy habits at home into the office with them. Read more

SunEdison to initiate first ‘yieldco’ PV project investment vehicle

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Major PV energy provider (PVEP), SunEdison, has submitted its first draft registration statement to establish a ‘yieldco’ financial vehicle. Read more

Tokyo governor announces ¥4 billion renewable energy fund

Tuesday, 2.18.2014 - 11:53 (PV-Tech)

Tokyo’s new governor, Yoichi Masuzoe, who was sworn into office last week, has announced the creation of a public-private fund for the region to use for investment in renewable energy. Read more