Enphase M250 microinverter now shipping in Europe

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 7:41 (Solarserver)

Enphase Energy Inc. (Petaluma, California, U.S.) has announced that the latest generation of its microinverter product is now shipping in the UK, France, the Benelux nations, Switzerland, Germany and Italy. The company's M250 microinverter is rated to 250 watts-AC of output, and pairs with modules up to 310 watts. The inverter is rated at 95.7% EU efficiency, and Enphase further notes that it is designed to withstand harsh environments. Read more

EU ProSun alleges “massive violation” of EU solar trade rules

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 20:17 (Solarserver)

Trade group EU ProSun says that it has given European authorities evidence of 1,500 proposals by Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) makers offering prices below the minimum level agreed between the EU and China. As a negotiated solution to the EU trade case, over 100 Chinese PV makers agreed in 2013 to only export PV modules to the EU at prices above EUR 0.56 (USD 0.76) per watt. Read more

Historic Sussex castle powered by solar farm

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 17:50 (Solarpowerportal)

Knepp Castle in West Sussex is benefitting from solar energy after installing an 856.80kWp ground-mount solar farm on the Knepp estate. Read more

Los Angeles' public utility approves 300 MW of solar PV projects

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 15:56 (Solarserver)

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has approved the winning bids to build the 250 MW Beacon solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Kern County, California along with 50 MW of PV within Los Angeles. Contracts for the projects still need to be approved by the Los Angeles City Council. Read more

NADB to provide USD 40 million for OCI's Alamo 4 solar PV plant in Texas

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 14:56 (Solarserver)

The North American Development Bank (NADB) has agreed to provide a USD 40 million loan to OCI Solar Power LLC (San Antonio, Texas, U.S.) to support the construction of a 39.6MW-AC solar photovoltaic (PV) project in South Texas. The Alamo 4 PV plant will comprise more than 150,000 multicrystalline silicon PV modules mounted on a dual-axis tracking system, covering 256 hectares in Kinney County near the U.S.-Mexico border. Read more

Intersolar Europe 2014: Retroactive PV support cuts ‘spreading like cancer’, claims yield co boss

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 13:50 (PV-Tech)

The chief executive of a company seeking to launch a solar ‘yield co’ investment vehicle says that retroactive cuts to support are “spreading like cancer” and claims his company’s business model could offer “a last line” of legal defence. Read more

Solar companies come out in favour of solar farm review

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 13:35 (Solarpowerportal)

A number of solar companies have expressed support for government’s controversial proposals to limit support for large-scale solar farms. Read more

Photon Holding files for insolvency

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

Photon Holding GmbH, which publishes the solar industry magazine, Photon International, has filed for insolvency in the district court of Aachen, Germany. Read more

Trina Solar dismisses accusations of EU trade breach

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 13:09 (PV-Tech)

Accusations that Trina Solar has breached the EU trade agreement are “false and ridiculous”, according to an executive at the company. Read more

Los Angeles approves 300MW of PV

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 12:15 (PV-Tech)

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has approved 300MW of solar development agreements. Read more

Intersolar Europe 2014: Guide details new business models for PV

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 12:15 (PV-Tech)

German trade body, BSW-Solar, has published an investment guide to new and emerging business models for PV. Read more

What I Learned About Solar While Biking Through Tuscany

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 10:00 (Renewable Energy World)

Even on vacation, I’m always thinking about solar and how it’s growing in the world…or not. So, it should be no surprise that as I biked through a small part of the Tuscany region of Italy last week, I got off my bike to take pictures of the solar installations that I saw, and I also learned about why Tuscany doesn’t have even more solar. As I bike Read more

SMA, Ideal Power among the winners of the 2014 Intersolar Award

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 8:26 (Solarserver)

SMA Solar Technology AG (Niestetal, Germany) and eight other companies have been recognized with the Intersolar Award at a ceremony during the Intersolar Europe trade show in Munich. The award was presented in three categories: Photovoltaics (PV), Solar Projects in Europe and electrical energy storage (ees), a category which was introduced this year. Award winners include five German and two American companies. Read more

Trina solar to issue around USD 250 million in stock, convertible bonds

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 8:19 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) has commenced offerings of 8.8 million shares and USD 150 million in convertible bonds due 2019, with underwriters options for an additional 1.32 million shares and USD 22.5 million in bonds. The bonds are only being offered to institutional investors. Trina Solar has set the conversion rate for the notes or priced its follow-on share offering. However, the company's stock is currently trading at around USD 11.70 per share on the New York Stock Exchange. Read more

SunPower to build 19 MW-DC solar PV plant at Nevada military base

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 7:35 (Solarserver)

NV Energy (Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.) has chosen SunPower Corp. (San Jose, California, U.S.) to build a 19 MW-DC solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at Nellis Air Force Base in the U.S. state of Nevada. The company expects to begin construction of the plant in 2015, contingent on contract approval by Nevada regulators. Nellis Air Force base is also the site of a 14 MW PV plant which was the largest in the United States when built in 2007. Read more

KDC Solar’s 9.95MW PV project commences operations in New Jersey

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 6:15 (PV-Tech)

US-based commercial PV developer KDC Solar announced that its 9.95MW PV project in New Jersey has commenced operations. The solar panel system will generate electricity to Eli Lilly and Company’s ImClone biopharmaceutical services in Branchburg, New Jersey. Read more

Intersolar Europe 2014: Schneider Electric Solar Business announces launch of Conext CL inverter

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 5:15 (PV-Tech)

PV solutions leader Schneider Electric Solar Business has unveiled the Conext CL, the company’s newest line of three-phase string inverters. Read more

REC and SolarCity ink 100MW OEM supply deal

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 4:24 (PV-Tech)

REC Group and clean energy provider SolarCity have reached a supply deal under which SolarCity will purchase a minimum of 100MW and a maximum of 240MW of REC’s Peak Energy solar panels over a 12-month period beginning in Q4 2014. Read more

REC Group and SolarCity agree to 100MW OEM Supply Deal

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 4:15 (PV-Tech)

REC Group and clean energy provider SolarCity have announced that a supply agreement has been reached between the two companies. As part of the deal, SolarCity will purchase a minimum of 100MW and a maximum of 240MW of REC’s Peak Energy solar panels over a 12-month period beginning in Q4 2014. Read more

EU Will be Forced To Curtail Renewable Energy Generation this Summer

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 14:01 (Renewable Energy World)

Europe’s drive toward a power system based on renewable energy has gone so far that output will probably need to be cut within months because of oversupply. Read more

Financing Europe’s Climate Goals

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 13:34 (Renewable Energy World)

On 9 April the European Commission adopted its new rules on State Aid in the energy sector. The measure is crucial for the future development of renewables, which for the time being at least are still almost wholly reliant on state hand outs in some form or other to secure private investment. Read more

Old Reactors v. New Renewables: The First Nuclear War of the 21st Century

Friday, 6.6.2014 - 11:39 (Renewable Energy World)

Within the past year, a bevy of independent, financial analysts (Lazard, Citi, Credit Suisse, McKinsey and Company, Sanford Bernstein, Morningstar) have heralded an economic revolution in the electricity sector. A quarter of a century of technological progress has led to the conclusion that over the course of the next decade a combination of efficiency, renewables and gas will meet the need for new resources and more importantly, render the antiquated baseload model largely obsolete. Read more