GTAT reveals ‘game-changing’ solar cell technology

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 19:46 (PV-Tech)

Dubbed ‘Merlin,’ GT Advanced Technologies has launched a c-Si solar cell metallisation and interconnect technology that it claims will boost conversion efficiencies while lowering production costs via significantly reduced silver paste consumption. Read more

GTAT reveals game-changing solar cell technology

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 19:46 (PV-Tech)

Dubbed ‘Merlin,’ GT Advanced Technologies has launched a c-Si solar cell metallization and interconnect technology that it claims will boost conversion efficiencies while lower production costs via significantly reduced silver paste consumption. Read more

Sungrow, Powerway to open inverter factory in South Africa

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 14:34 (Solarserver)

Powerway Renewable Energy Co. Ltd. (Foshan, China) has announced that its South African subsidiary has partnered with Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd. (Hefei, China) to open an inverter manufacturing facility in the nation. Powerway says the plant will be the largest of its kind outside China, and expects the facility to be at full capacity by the middle to end of 2014. Read more

NextEra's Massive McCoy Solar Project Clears Another Hurdle

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 20:06 (Renewable Energy World)

NextEra Energy has received local approval for the initial phase of one of the biggest solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the U.S. development pipeline. Read more

Judicial review granted for Good Energy solar farm in Dorset

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 18:04 (Solarpowerportal)

A judge has ordered a judicial review of a 28MW planned solar farm in Dorset following protest from a local resident. Read more

Saudi Arabia to launch 1GW solar tender ‘by end of the year’

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 17:14 (PV-Tech)

Saudi Arabia will put 700-1000MW of solar power out to tender by the end of the year, according to the Vahid Fotuhi, president of the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA). Read more

Hanwha SolarOne expanding cell and module production

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 15:59 (PV-Tech)

Tier one PV manufacturer, Hanwha SolarOne, expects to spend around US$80 million on capital expenditure to expand both solar cell and PV module capacity to meet expected module shipment growth of 25% in 2014. Read more

Exosun to place tracker technology on 12MW PV plant in France

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 15:57 (PV-Tech)

Tracking system engineering firm Exosun has signed a deal with renewable energy company Fonroche Energie to provide 12MW of trackers and related services to the ‘Le Betout’ solar plant located in south-west France. Read more

Election Frontrunner Signals Solar Revolution for India Power Market

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 15:11 (Renewable Energy World)

Narendra Modi hasn’t said much about how he’d govern India if he wins the general election in May. One thing is clear: he’s signaling a clean energy revolution to end blackouts and revive economic growth. Read more

Bravo to Affordable Solar for This Fun and Rewarding Solar Campaign

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 14:45 (Renewable Energy World)

Often I hear the argument from solar companies that they can’t be “weird.” They can’t do a promotion with Zombies or anything outside the box and take a risk that people won’t get their marketing humor. They think the solar buying public won’t take them seriously as reliable solar installers. But is that really the case? I’m happy to say that at le Read more

Hareon Solar teaming with Shanghai Electric Power on 800MW of PV projects

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 14:35 (PV-Tech)

Hareon Solar and Shanghai Electric Power are to collaborate on the construction, financing and sales of PV power plants in China totalling around 800MW. Read more

German solar industry gloomy over PV levy

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 14:07 (PV-Tech)

Germany’s solar industry fears a PV self-consumption levy will further diminish the country’s already dwindling solar installation figures, according to national industry association, BSW-Solar. Read more

Solar industry petitions against scrapping of Merton Rule

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 14:01 (Solarpowerportal)

More than 50 companies have signed an open letter to communities and local government secretary, Eric Pickles, to keep a key planning rule that requires on-site renewable energy generation in new UK buildings. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne reports record solar PV module shipments, brings down costs

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 13:56 (Solarserver)

Hanwha SolarOne Co. Ltd. (Shanghai) has released results for the fourth quarter and full year 2013, reporting a 59% year-over-year growth in revenues to USD 214 million, a -1.8% operating margin and a net loss of USD 3.6 million. The company reports record solar photovoltaic (PV) module shipments of 352 MW during the fourth quarter, with a continuing strong presence in the Japanese market at 44% of shipments by revenue. Read more

Campaign underway to overturn Austrian PV self-consumption charge

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Austria’s national PV trade association has launched a campaign to overturn a new government tax on the self-consumption of solar-generated electricity. Read more

Martifer Solar opens new office in El Salvador

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 12:23 (PV-Tech)

Portuguese PV developer Martifer Solar has set its sights on new markets oversees by opening a new office in El Salvador. Read more

Report: More than 20,000 US solar jobs created in 2013

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 11:39 (PV-Tech)

More than 78,600 clean energy jobs were created in the US throughout 2013, according to a survey by clean tech employment research body, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2). Read more

OCI Solar Power’s 4.4MW Alamo 2 solar farm begins operations

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 11:10 (PV-Tech)

PV developer OCI Solar Power’s 4.4MW Texas solar farm, Alamo 2, has officially begun generating power, officials say. Read more

IHS ranks Mexico as third-most attractive emerging market for solar PV

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 8:53 (Solarserver)

IHS Inc. (Englewood, Colorado, U.S.) has released its ranking of emerging solar photovoltaic (PV) markets in the first quarter of 2014, with Mexico moving into third place after South Africa and Turkey. The company notes that roughly 300 MW of PV projects are currently under construction in Mexico, and expects 327 MW to be installed in 2014. IHS ranks Israel and Switzerland as the fourth- and fifth-most attractive markets. Read more

Germany well in the lead for solar PV and energy storage

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 8:48 (Solarserver)

EuPD Research (Bonn, Germany) has published a new report which finds that while the German market for solar photovoltaics (PV) and energy storage is growing, other European markets have not kept pace. EuPD says that while homeowners are interested in storage, the market is currently impeded by uncertainty around the technological progress of the systems. The company also predicts that energy storage will become more important with the shift in European PV markets towards self-consumption. Read more

UK Bioenergy: Are Dedicated Biomass Plants a Bust?

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 11:40 (Renewable Energy World)

As Ed Davey, U.K. Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, spoke to the Environment Council in Brussels, saying: “We call for urgent action on reaching an ambitious 2030 energy and climate change agreement, to spur on investment in green, reliable energy,” at home in Britain the backers of a flagship biomass energy project announced that it would be economically unfeasible to continue development. What happened? Read more

How Geothermal Heat Pumps Can Soar Like Solar

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 14:28 (Renewable Energy World)

Ralph Waldo Emerson never said “Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.” The mousetrap that likely inspired the misquote was invented seven years after his death. Unfortunately, many people take it literally. GHPs have all the hallmarks of a better mousetrap: They do the job of heating and cooling a building more efficiently than any other option. Despite the larger up-front cost, they are a mature technology and usually the most economic option for buildings that can accommodate them. Read more

It's Official: Efficiency, Clean Energy to Help Fill California's Nuclear Generation Gap

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 20:12 (Renewable Energy World)

California took another major and symbolic step today with its decision to rely significantly on energy efficiency and other clean energy resources to help replace electricity once generated by the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (SONGS) serving San Diego and the greater Los Angeles area. Read more

Powerway partners with Sungrow and InnoVent on major collaboration plans in Africa

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 13:43 (PV-Tech)

Powerway Renewable Energy is building a major stake in local manufacturing in South Africa and using the base to expand business opportunities across the African continent. Read more

‘Two-thirds of German PV installers now offering storage’

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 12:10 (PV-Tech)

Over two-thirds of German PV installers are now offering their customers energy storage options, while their British and Italian counterparts are beginning to follow suit, according to a new report from EuPD Research. Read more

Energy Storage World Forum comes to London in April

Thursday, 3.13.2014 - 8:43 (Solarserver)

From April 1st to 4th, 2014 the Energy Storage World Forum will bring together hundreds of delegates for its seventh annual meeting in London, featuring seventy speakers from the technical, scientific and business fields. The forum notes a number of changes to the industry that have taken place since last April, including breakthroughs in battery storage technologies and the introduction of energy storage subsidies in Germany and utility procurement mandates in California. Read more