Enphase installs 3,000 PV microinverters in The Netherlands in less than 24 months

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 8:56 (Solarserver)

Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) reports that 3,000 of its microinverters have been installed in The Netherlands in the two years that it has been operating in the nation. This is an achievement for Enphase as the large majority of microinverter installations are in the United States. To celebrate this accomplishment, Enphase is launching an awareness campaign focusing on the impact of renewable energy in the lives of Dutch people. Read more

NextEra gets the go-ahead to begin the 750 MW McCoy Solar project in Southern California

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 21:34 (Solarserver)

Officials in California's Riverside County have given the final approval to allow construction on the first phase of NextEra Energy's (Juno Beach, Florida, U.S.) 750 MW McCoy Solar Energy Center. The conditional use permit covers the first 50 MW phase of the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant on 193 hectares of privately owned land near Blythe, California. Read more

U.S. extends preliminary anti-subsidy ruling on imports of Chinese solar PV to June 2nd

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 20:52 (Solarserver)

Citing the complexity of the issues, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has postponed the preliminary ruling in its countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules from China. DOC had initially planned to issue a decision on March 28th, 2014, and instead the ruling will be made on June 2nd, 2014 and announced the following day. Read more

U.S. extends preliminary anti-subsidy ruling imports of Chinese solar PV to June 2nd

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 19:26 (Solarserver)

Citing the complexity of the issues, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has postponed the preliminary ruling in its countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of crystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules from China. DOC had initially planned to issue a decision on March 28th, 2014, and instead the ruling will be made on June 2nd, 2014 and announced the following day. Read more

Solar PV-T suffering from inconsistent legislation

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 18:48 (Solarpowerportal)

Solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV-T) manufacturers are suffering from inconsistent legislation, according to UK-based PV-T manufacturer Natural Technology Developments (NTD). Read more

Recent European Solar Announcements Are Good News for the Solar Industry

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 15:58 (Renewable Energy World)

To say that the European solar manufacturing industry has suffered some setbacks over the past few years would be an understatement. A glut of Chinese-made panels flooded the market in 2010, driving solar module prices to record lows and driving dozens of European and North American solar PV manufacturers out of business. Read more

PJM Interconnection: Northeast grid can handle 30% wind, solar PV

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 15:10 (Solarserver)

Northeastern U.S. grid operator PJM Interconnection has published a report which finds that with transmission expansion and additional reserves there will be no problem adding enough wind and solar photovoltaics (PV) to provide 30% of the region's electricity. Read more

UK council votes to relax solar planning rules

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 14:54 (PV-Tech)

Swindon Borough Council in the UK has voted through measures that will allow solar farms to be developed on pre-approved sites under local development orders. Read more

Swindon council votes to relax solar planning rules

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 14:49 (Solarpowerportal)

Swindon Borough Council has voted through measures that will allow solar farms to be developed on pre-approved sites under Local Development Orders. Read more

SolarWorld acquires Bosch solar PV factory in Arnstadt, capacity now over 1 GW

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 14:07 (Solarserver)

SolarWorld AG (Bonn, Germany) has closed on the purchase of Robert Bosch GmbH's (Stuttgart, Germany) solar photovoltaic (PV) cell and module production in Arnstadt, Germany. This will increase SolarWorld's PV cell production by 700 MW annually, putting its capacity at over 1 GW of PV cells and modules. Read more

IHS: Mexico joins South Africa and Turkey in top three emerging PV markets

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 13:40 (PV-Tech)

Several hundred megawatts of PV projects currently under construction in Mexico are driving the country to third place in the world for attractiveness to investors, developers and manufacturers in the solar industry, according to analysis firm IHS. Read more

Gestamp and 8minuteenergy to construct 50MW solar farm in California

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 13:36 (PV-Tech)

PV developers Gestamp Solar and 8minutenergy Renewables are planning to jointly build a 50MW solar farm in California. Read more

Fostering Community Power: A New Pay It Forward Model for Solar

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 12:15 (Renewable Energy World)

People can now help build solar energy projects in a brand new way. RE-volv, a nonprofit based in San Francisco, has developed a revolving fund to finance solar projects for community centers that raises up-front costs by crowdfunding donations. RE-volv just finished its second solar energy project, a 22-kW installation at the Kehilla Community Syn Read more

Switzerland to allow solar PV self-consumption

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 11:24 (PV-Tech)

The Swiss Federal Council has approved changes to the country’s energy regulations that will allow small PV system owners to consume the electricity they generate. Read more

Trina Solar: Commercial sector could drive UK to 3GW in 2014

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 11:20 (Solarpowerportal)

Trina Solar is predicting that 2014 will be the year of commercial-scale solar development in the UK. Read more

CCL and Solarmax agree UK partnership

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 10:31 (Solarpowerportal)

Swiss inverter manufacturer Solarmax has reached an agreement with UK-based distributor CCL. Read more

Solarcentury collaborates with Hanwha Q Cells for 10MW Somerset solar farm

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 10:29 (Solarpowerportal)

Solarcentury has completed a 10MW solar farm in Somerset that is expected to generate enough electricity to power 3,000 households every year. Read more

Trina Solar sells first large solar PV plant in China

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 9:00 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) has sold a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Western China's Gansu Province to Huadian Fuxin Energy Corp. (Fuzhou, China). This is Trina Solar's first sale of a large-scale PV project in China. Huadian Fuxin will assume 100% ownership of the plant in Wuwei upon closing of the transaction. Read more

Vestas Back On Top as Wind Turbine Installions Leader

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 21:03 (Renewable Energy World)

A turnaround story, a sluggish U.S market, and a surge in China cause a big shakeup in the ranks of wind turbine manufacturers, as compiled by new analyst reports. Read more

Wind Energy Chiefs Share Warnings of Industry Pitfalls

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 16:49 (Renewable Energy World)

The wind energy industry’s most influential figures have delivered various warnings this week on the threats that must be overcome to advance the industry’s development. Read more

Reykjavik to Start Drilling on $2 Billion Ethiopia Geothermal Project

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 13:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Reykjavik Geothermal, the Icelandic power-plant builder, plans to begin drilling in Ethiopia by July as part of a $2 billion project to develop the renewable energy source, Chief Operating Officer Gunnar Orn Gunnarsson said. Read more

Fraunhofer ISE developing technologies for Africa-Europe ‘super grid’

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 18:34 (PV-Tech)

Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE institute is leading a research project into the development of a ‘super grid’ that would allow intercontinental transmission of power from renewable energy plants in Africa to Europe. Read more

Report: Industry calls on DECC to announce domestic RHI start date

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 17:14 (Solarpowerportal)

The renewable heat industry is calling on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to announce a start date for the domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI). Read more

California’s 750MW McCoy project gets green light

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 14:43 (PV-Tech)

Energy provider NextEra Energy’s 750MW McCoy solar project in California has finally been approved, according to local press reports. Read more

Renewable Energy Powers Rural Nepal Into the Future

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 12:45 (Renewable Energy World)

Reaching Darbang in Myagdi district is an ordeal. The rough roads leading from the district capital of Beni are impassable during the rains, requiring you to wade through rivers and perform balancing acts across landslides to get there. So it’s surprising that once you reach there, what greets you is not a sleepy rural village, but a bustling center of economic activity. Read more

Strong results for Enel Green Power as parent company plots RES investment

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 12:32 (PV-Tech)

Enel Green Power reported strong annual results as its parent company announced plans to increase investment in emerging markets and renewable energy. Read more

Xcel Energy grants US$42 million to Minnesota renewable energy projects

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 11:51 (PV-Tech)

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has approved 29 renewable energy projects, most of them solar, to receive US$42 million in grants from US power producer Xcel Energy’s Renewable Development Fund. Read more

Máximo Pacheco Matte becomes new Chilean Minister of Energy

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 8:50 (Solarserver)

Newly sworn in Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has appointed businessman and economist Máximo Pacheco Matte as the nation's new Minister of Energy, to replace Jorge Bunster. Matte served for 16 years as VP of operations at state-owned mining company Codelco (Santiago), and has also served as VP of Carter Holt Harvey Ltd. (Auckland, New Zealand), which at the time owned 30% share in petroleum fuel distributor Copec (Santiago). He is a member of Bachelet's Socialist Party (PS). Read more

European Renewable Energy Council to dissolve

Wednesday, 3.12.2014 - 8:44 (Solarserver)

The European Renewable Energy Council (EREC, Brussels) has announced that it will voluntarily dissolve as it cannot meet lease payments on its buildings. EREC has been the main tenant of the three buildings at the Renewable Energy House (REH), a showcase for sustainable energy launched by the Prince of Belgium. EREC notes that the REH continues to operate. Read more