ABB Announces Power-One Inverter Rebranding Amidst Apparent Stop-Shipment

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 19:20 (Renewable Energy World)

Power technology group ABB made a $1 billion solar commitment with its purchase of the number-two solar PV inverter manufacturer Power-One in April 2013. Last week, the Swiss company announced that it finalized the integration, and all Power-One components will now display ABB branding. However in the same week, RenewableEnergyWorld.com caught wind of a supposed global stop-ship on all Power-One Trio string inverters. Read more

Italian PV plant owners ‘tearing up existing FiT contracts’

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 13:55 (PV-Tech)

Some PV plants owners in Italy are walking away from their existing feed-in tariffs (FiTs) in favour of power purchase agreements (PPA) as the market enters a new phase. Read more

Groundbreaking held for 100 MW solar PV plant in Pakistan

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 21:05 (Solarserver)

On May 9th, 2014 the government of Pakistan held a groundbreaking ceremony for a 100 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant which will be built by Tebian Electric Apparatus (TBEA, Changji, China) in the state of Punjab, Pakistan. The Quaid e Azam PV plant in Bahawalpur District is the first phase of a 1 GW PV project which the government expects to complete in the next two and half years. Read more

Analysis: DECC’s proposed changes to financial support for solar PV

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 19:56 (Solarpowerportal)

Today’s shock announcement on removing RO support for solar over 5MW has the industry reeling, Peter Bennett analyses the real impact on the solar industry. Read more

BrightSource's 500-MW Hidden Hills CSP Project Delayed — Again

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 16:30 (Renewable Energy World)

The California Energy Commission has agreed to extend, until April 3, 2015, its suspension of a review proceeding for the 500-MW Hidden Hills Solar Electric Generating project. Read more

The High Cost of the Solar Middleman

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 15:55 (Renewable Energy World)

If there’s no such thing as a free lunch, then how can Americans get solar on their roof with “zero money down” and lower their electric bill?  Solar leasing, as it’s often called, is a clever market solution to poor federal and state policy design that otherwise requires Americans to do financial acrobatics to power their home or business with sol Read more

$11 Billion Will Be Invested in Indian Solar Energy by 2017

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 15:53 (Renewable Energy World)

Hindustan Powerprojects Pvt., an Indian generator backed by Blackstone Group LP, plans to sell shares in its solar unit as it prepares to double investment in photovoltaic projects to $2 billion by 2016. Read more

Solar Success: Students Develop Award-winning Solar Tracker Technology Solution

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 15:32 (Renewable Energy World)

Engineering ingenuity and entrepreneurial smarts proved a winning combination for a team of UNH seniors whose project took a top prize at a recent national environmental design competition. The team — three business entrepreneurship majors from the Paul College of Business and Economics and two mechanical engineering majors from the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, led by Paul College professor Jeff Sohl — won the INTEL Innovation award for the top project in the 24th annual Environmental Design Contest at New Mexico State University earlier this month. Read more

German solar battery subsidy supports 4,000 systems in first year

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 14:15 (Solarserver)

The German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar, Berlin) reports that roughly 4,000 battery systems to accompany solar photovoltaic (PV) generation have been supported by the federal government since the introduction of subsidies in May 2013. Read more

UK government deals blow to large-scale solar sector

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has confirmed that it is planning to remove support for solar under the Renewable Obligation (RO) scheme from 1 April 2015. Read more

Industry reaction to solar RO closure for >5MW in 2015

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 14:10 (Solarpowerportal)

A round-up of the reaction to the news that DECC is planning on scrapping support for solar over 5MW under the Renewable Obligation scheme entirely from April 2015. Read more

Powerway to supply mounting systems and design for landmark solar PV project in Algeria

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 13:38 (Solarserver)

Powerway Renewable Energy Co. Ltd. (Foshan, China) has won a contract to supply mounting structures, its ground screw product and design services for 120 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Algeria. This 120 MW is part of a group of sixteen plants with a capacity of 233 MW which a consortium led by Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (Baoding, China) is building in the nation. Read more

Thank You Mr. President: More Support for Training Programs at Community Colleges Will Ready More Workers for Solar Jobs

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 13:26 (Renewable Energy World)

May 9 was a momentous day for solar energy with one giant announcement kicking off a new set of promising and proven actions.  President Obama publicized more than 300 private and public sector commitments to create jobs and cut carbon pollution by advancing solar deployment and energy efficiency. Some of these headline initiatives included innovat Read more

Tapping Underserved Solar Markets: Can We Extend Solar into Customer Sectors with Lower or No Credit?

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 13:04 (Renewable Energy World)

Distributed solar deployment is often a game of off-taker credit. That is, behind-the-meter project success depends largely on whether the end-use customer has credit sufficient to support a long-term power contract or lease. Read more

Germany’s storage subsidy yields 4,000 systems in first year

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 12:37 (PV-Tech)

In the year that has passed since Germany began offering subsidies for lithium-ion battery systems for residential use, around 4,000 solar-plus-batteries have been installed, the country’s Federal Solar Industry Association (BSW Solar) has announced. Read more

Powerway supplies mounting system to ‘largest’ PV power station in Africa

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 12:13 (PV-Tech)

Chinese PV mounting systems manufacturer Powerway has announced that it will work on a solar power project in Algeria that will total 233MW generation capacity when completed. Read more

RO support for solar over 5MW to be scrapped in 2015

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 11:52 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has confirmed that it is planning on removing support for ground-mount solar under the Renewable Obligation (RO) scheme from 1 April 2015. Read more

Milk the Sun to present new online sales tool for efficient trading of solar PV projects at Intersolar Europe

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 10:27 (Solarserver)

Intersolar 2014 will see Milk the Sun GmbH (Berlin) presenting an online sales tool that allows EPC contractors, project developers and other companies to optimize the way in which they sell their existing solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, turnkey PV systems and project rights. The tool allows companies to upload and update details of the projects that they are selling via a user-friendly online input screen, Milk the Sun GmbH announced. Using a customized design, these projects are then published on both the company’s own website and on MilktheSun.com, one of the leading online marketplaces for existing PV installations. This boosts the sales reach of each project Read more

German solar PV, wind peak at 67% of demand on May 11th

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 8:36 (Solarserver)

German solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind generation peaked around 37 GW during mid-day on May 11th, 2014, a very windy and sunny Sunday. Coupled with low weekend electricity demand, this allowed PV and wind to peak at up to 67% of electricity production, according to an analysis by renewable energy consultant Bernard Chabot. This is the highest portion recorded in the nation to date. Read more

India installs a record 433 MW of solar electric capacity in March 2014

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 8:29 (Solarserver)

India added 418 MW of grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) capacity and 14.6 MW of off-grid PV during March 2014, according to figures released by the nation's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). This is nearly double the 257 MW installed a year ago, and the most commissioned in any one month to date. This brings the nation to 754 MW of grid-tied and 34.4 MW of off-grid solar electric systems installed during fiscal year 2013–2014, which ended on March 31st, 2014. Read more

Solar PV meets 9.2% of Italian electric demand in April 2014

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 8:24 (Solarserver)

Italy's solar photovoltaic (PV) plants produced 2.21 terawatt-hours (TWh) during April 2014, according to figures released by grid operator Terna (Rome). This is only a 2.3% increase over April 2013, but due to lower use it was enough to meet 9.2% of the nation's electricity demand during the month. Italy meets a higher portion of its electricity demand with PV than any mid-sized to large nation in the world, at 7.0% over the course of 2013. April numbers are also an increase over the 8.0% of demand met with PV during March 2014. Read more

Yingli PANDA modules power UK's largest rooftop solar PV plant

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 8:19 (Solarserver)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (Baoding, China) reports that its PANDA solar photovoltaic (PV) modules are powering the 5.8 MW plant on the roof of Jaguar Land Rover's (Wolverhampton, UK) new factory in the Midlands, England. The 35,000 square meter plant is the largest rooftop PV plant in the UK, and was completed during the first quarter of 2014. These modules are part of 10 MW of monocrystalline PV modules which Yingli has delivered to Kingspan Energy (Holywell, UK). Read more

DECC ponders new community energy-only FiT rate

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 20:06 (Solarpowerportal)

The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) could develop a new feed-in tariff (FiT) rate under plans putout for consultation on Tuesday. Read more

GENR: NATO warns of military security breakdown if global warming allowed to continue

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 19:45 (PV-Tech)

Today in the Green Energy News Review: NATO warns of worldwide threat to security if global warming is allowed to continue, energy efficiency bill fails to pass in Congress, Antarctica melting faster than previously thought (again) and UK bird charity the RSPB co-opts drone cameras for conservation. Read more

Green Energy News Review: NATO warns of military security breakdown due to global warming

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 19:45 (Solarpowerportal)

Today in the Green Energy News Review: NATO warns of worldwide threat to security if global warming is allowed to continue, energy efficiency bill fails to pass in Congress, Antarctica melting faster than previously thought (again); and RSPB co-opt drone cameras for conservation. Read more

India’s new government urged to launch fresh renewable energy drive

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 15:48 (PV-Tech)

The Energy and Resources Institute in India (TERI) has published energy policy recommendations for India’s newly elected government, calling for a reinvigorated drive to deploy solar. Read more

Daqo planning polysilicon capacity expansion to 25,000MT

Tuesday, 5.13.2014 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Daqo New Energy is planning to double polysilicon production capacity to 25,000MT after completing its current expansion to 12,000MT, due to increased demand and higher average selling prices (ASPs) that reach US$21.63/kg in the first quarter of 2014, compared to US$18.67/kg in the previous quarter. Read more