Tool Order: Leading solar cell manufacturer in Asia picks Aurora’s Decima CD tool

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 22:15 (PV-Tech)

PV equipment specialist, ACT Aurora Control Technologies has sold a Decima CD inspection tool to a leading solar cell manufacturer based in Asia. Read more

SNEC: Heraeus launching lightly doped metallization pastes for higher cell efficiencies

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 14:42 (PV-Tech)

The Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit is launching several new metallization pastes at the SNEC exhibition in China, which are designed for standard to ultra-lightly doped emitter cells, providing higher cell efficiencies and process window flexibility, according to the company. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne to expand solar cell and module capacity

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 14:11 (PV-Tech)

Tier-one PV manufacturer Hanwha SolarOne is to expand solar cell and PV module manufacturing capacity in 2014 to meet increased demand. Read more

Researchers Find New Material for Flat Semiconductors

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 13:04 (Renewable Energy World)

Researchers around the world have been working to harness the unusual properties of graphene, a two-dimensional sheet of carbon atoms. But graphene lacks one important characteristic that would make it even more useful: a property called a bandgap, which is essential for making devices such as computer chips and solar cells. Read more

Competition intensifies in the U.S. PV inverter market

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 8:27 (Solarserver)

Falling domestic market shares for the three largest U.S. inverter makers in 2013 can be traced to the decline of the EU solar photovoltaic (PV) market, according to a new analysis by IHS Technology (London). “PV Inverter World Market Report – 2014” notes that with Asian markets hard to enter, European inverter markets have increasingly turned to the U.S. market. This has resulted in more EU inverter makers with a significant U.S. market share. Read more

Sharp rebounds to head solar industry supplier rankings

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 21:55 (PV-Tech)

According to NPD Solarbuzz, Sharp Corporation shipped the highest volume of PV modules in the world in the first quarter of 2014, something it has been unable to achieve in the last five years. Read more

The UK becomes the latest country to scrap solar subsidy - GENR

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 19:43 (Solarpowerportal)

In Wednesday’s Green Energy News Review, UK’s coalition government scraps large scale solar Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme, plus Conservative peer suggests fracking should be kept away from Tory areas. Read more

The UK becomes the latest country to scrap solar subsidy - GENR

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 19:43 (PV-Tech)

In Wednesday’s Green Energy News Review, UK’s coalition government scraps large scale solar Renewable Obligation Certificate scheme, plus Conservative peer suggests fracking should be kept away from Tory areas. Read more

Could large-scale solar thrive under CfDs?

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 19:01 (Solarpowerportal)

Government’s move to force the solar industry to use CfDs from April 2015 has been heavily criticised by the sector, however, the new mechanism could prove more suitable than the outgoing RO, according to some industry figures. Read more

Hanwha Q Cells returns to profitability, becomes Europe's largest solar PV module maker

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 18:38 (Solarserver)

Hanwha Q Cells (Thalheim, Germany) reports that it has achieved a positive operating margin in the first quarter of 2014, the first positive quarterly result since its acquisition by Hanwha Group (Seoul). The company did not provide an exact figure or full financial information for the quarter. Read more

Hanergy moving ahead with 50 MW thin film solar PV project in China

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 16:25 (Solarserver)

Hanergy Solar Group Ltd. (Hong Kong) has received the go-ahead from the Development and Reform Commission in Xuchang City, Henan Province, China to build a 50 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) near the city. Hanergy will supply its thin-film PV modules for the project, but did not specify if these would be amorphous silicon (a-Si) or the copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) technology which it has acquired. Read more

Companies Eye Factory Rooftops for Solar Expansion in Japan

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 16:03 (Renewable Energy World)

Panasonic Corp. is aiming to sell more solar panels specifically designed for the rooftops of factories and warehouses, a market it sees ripe with potential as Japan introduces rules that threaten to stymie the development of larger solar farms built on open land. Read more

India May Impose Solar Tariffs After Probe Says US, China Dumped Panels

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 15:54 (Renewable Energy World)

India may recommend duties on U.S. and Chinese solar imports after finding evidence of dumping, broadening a global trade dispute in the $130 billion market. Read more

Abengoa reports strong Q1 results, progress on landmark solar CSP projects

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 15:41 (Solarserver)

Abengoa SA (Seville, Spain) has reported strong operational progress and bookings in the first quarter of 2014, as the company intensifies its presence in Latin America. And while the company is building landmark concentrating solar power (CSP) projects, it is also showing less of focus on solar going forward. Read more

Cemetery bids to host New York State’s second-largest solar farm

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 13:38 (PV-Tech)

A Long Island cemetery has applied to build a 9MW solar farm on its land, according to local press reports. Read more

Indian state of Karnataka commissions largest solar power plant

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Welspun Renewable Energy has announced the commissioning of the largest solar project in the southern state of Karnataka, India. Read more

Hanergy reveals new 50MW China project

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 13:12 (PV-Tech)

Hanergy Solar has announced a proposed 50MW PV project in Henan Province, China, as the company continues its expansion into downstream activities in China. Read more

On its 60th Birthday, Solar PV Has Become a Major Contender

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 12:20 (Renewable Energy World)

On April 25, 1954 in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, technicians at AT&T’s legendary Bell Labs publicly demonstrated a solar photovoltaic panel for the first time, capturing light to power the rotation of a miniature Ferris wheel. The New York Times called it “the beginning of a new era, eventually leading to the realization of one of mankind’s most cherished dreams.” Read more

Solar PV, CSP make up 6.3% of Spanish electricity production during April 2014

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 8:43 (Solarserver)

Solar photovoltaics (PV) comprised 3.9% of Spain's electricity generation during April 2014, with concentrating solar power (CSP) supplying another 2.4%, according to the nation's grid operator REE (Alcobendas, Spain). This is a significant increase from the 3.6% and 1.3% of production that PV and CSP represented in April 2013. Spain has the largest CSP capacity of any nation on earth, and CSP likewise meets the largest portion of demand of any nation. Read more

UK DECC proposes removing solar PV plants above 5 MW from the RO

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 8:38 (Solarserver)

Just at the moment that the UK was threatening to become Europe's largest solar photovoltaic (PV) market, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) appears to be pulling the rug out from under the solar industry with rapid and ill-advised policy changes. DECC has proposed closing off the Renewables Obligation (RO) to solar photovoltaic (PV) plants larger than 5 MW starting in April 2015, and switching such plants to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism. The UK Solar Trade Association (STA, London) says that this move will unfairly impact the PV industry. Read more

German solar PV meets 3.8% of demand during Q1 2014

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 8:31 (Solarserver)

Electricity generation from Germany's solar photovoltaic (PV) plants increased nearly 70% year-over-year to roughly 5.7 terawatt-hours (TWh) in the first quarter of 2014, according to the nation's Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW). This means that PV met roughly 3.8% of the nation's electricity demand during the winter months. Overall electricity generation from renewables rose to 40.2 TWh, or 27% of demand, which was mostly due to high wind output. Read more

80 Percent of Brits Support Renewable Energy

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 15:42 (Renewable Energy World)

If you are a follower of the press and politics in the U.K. you might be forgiven for thinking that the country is against wind energy — but a new survey proves exactly the opposite. The survey — carried out by the U.K. government’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in March 2014 — showed that 70 percent of respondents supported onshor Read more

Yingli consortium awarded supply and EPC contracts for 5MW Thailand project

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Yingli Green will act as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) partner on a 5MW ground mount PV project in Thailand as part of a consortium contracted by the country’s main state owned utility. Read more

Australian rooftop PV installations close in on 3.4GW

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 14:13 (PV-Tech)

April figures from Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator (CER) reveal that more than 3GW of PV has been installed in Australia across more than a million roofs. Read more

Climate Change, Asia and Renewable Energy Infrastructure Investment

Wednesday, 5.14.2014 - 12:08 (Renewable Energy World)

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns the world must triple its use of renewable energy AND develop nuclear power to avoid the worst ravages of climate change. OK. But what’s the optimal percentage of each to develop? Read more