GTM Research: Latin America's PV pipeline with 514 projects close to 20 GW

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 7:28 (Solarserver)

According to the newly released Q3 2014 “Latin America PV Playbook”, the region's solar photovoltaic (PV) project pipeline rose 22 percent over last quarter, reaching 19.5 gigawatts (GW), GTM Research (Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.) reports. In GTM Research's PV Playbook project tracker, the pipeline is made up of two segments: announced projects and capacity under construction. Growing from a smaller base, capacity under construction outpaced announced projects, rising 52 percent over the first quarter of the year. As of July 2014, there are 836 megawatts (MW) under construction and 18.7 GW of projects announced. Read more

First Solar finally cancels 2GW Inner Mongolia PV power plant plans

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 21:10 (PV-Tech)

Major PVEP, First Solar has cancelled long-standing plans to build a 2GW PV power plant near Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, according to reports. Read more

SolarWorld to pay penalty on second polysilicon contract change

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 20:15 (PV-Tech)

PV manufacturer SolarWorld has agreed to pay a penalty payment to an unidentified polysilicon supplier for changing terms on a long-term supply deal. Read more

STA questions National Grid UK solar predictions

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 18:08 (Solarpowerportal)

Industry body the Solar Trade Association has called on the National Grid to revise its predictions for UK solar in the coming years, claiming they are too low. Read more

Dominion Complains about North Carolina Solar Projects

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 15:49 (Renewable Energy World)

The North Carolina Utilities Commission on July 3 ordered a solar power developer to respond to a Dominion North Carolina Power complaint that it may have broken a 15-MW power project into three 5-MW segments to slip it in under a 5-MW per project limit. Read more

Planning inspector throws out juwi Devon project appeal

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 15:15 (Solarpowerportal)

German developer juwi has had its plans for a solar farm in mid-Devon thrown out on appeal. Read more

Russia’s State-supported Renewable Auction Heavily Favored Solar

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 14:37 (Renewable Energy World)

Russia’s second renewable energy project auction held in June has distributed state subsidies for the years of 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Subsidies were offerred for up to 496 MW of solar, 415 MW of hydropower and 1.65 GW of wind capacity. Fifty-seven applications were submitted, of which an impressive 53 were for solar generation, three for hydro development and a single wind bidder. Read more

Mixed response from solar industry to India budget

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 13:15 (PV-Tech)

The portions of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s first national budget relating to solar energy have been met with a mixed reaction from the industry, based on first impressions. Read more

Getting Out of the Weeds: How To Control Vegetative Growth Under Solar Arrays

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 10:55 (Renewable Energy World)

It is officially summer. The sun is shining and the grass in your backyard is growing quickly. At home, mowing the lawn is one of summertime's most frequent chores — and it’s no different for the solar industry. Read more

CASE commends multilateral WTO environmental, solar goods negotiations

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 10:25 (Solarserver)

The World Trade Organization (WTO) on July 9th, 2014 announced that 14 members, including the United States and China, have entered into negotiations aiming to eliminate tariffs or customs duties on a wide range of environmental goods. “The World Trade Organization’s announcement is a step in the right direction and we applaud the 14 governments’ efforts to reduce tariffs and lower the barriers for trade of environmental goods, including solar products,” comments Jigar Shah, President of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE). Read more

Q CELLS supplies over 17,000 PV modules for 4.4 MW solar PV plant in Germany

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 10:11 (Solarserver)

Hanwha Q CELLS, headquartered in Thalheim, Germany, has supplied more than 17,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) modules for a 4.4 MW PV park in the federal state of Brandenburg. Thus Europe's largest PV provider is further expanding its footprint in the German market. The ground-mounted PV system in Neustadt (Dosse) has been constructed and grid-connected in only 4 weeks. Read more

Solar PV energy storage: AUO receives certificates on high energy density system

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 10:02 (Solarserver)

AU Optronics Corp. (Hsinchu, China) on July, 10th, 2014 announced that “PowerLegato”, its high energy density integrated energy storage system designed for residential and commercial solar photovoltaics (PV) users, has successfully entered the European, Japanese and Australian markets. PowerLegato is TUV certified and could run both on-grid and off-grid in Germany and the UK depending on user demands. In addition, this intelligent and flexible energy storage system is eligible for Japan's S-Mark incentive program, allowing owners to receive subsidies from the government. Read more

Residential U.S. solar market: ET Solar achieves PV module qualification with Sunrun

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 9:56 (Solarserver)

ET Solar Energy Corp. (Nanjing, China) on July 9th, 2014 announced that its solar photovoltaic (PV) modules have been listed on Sunrun’s (San Francisco, California, U.S.) approved vendor list for use in its home solar systems. Sunrun's PV module qualification process is one of the most rigorous in the residential solar industry, ET Solar emphasizes. It consists of a multi-step process that includes extensive product analysis, factory audits, testing and risk assessment to evaluate solar module manufactures. Read more

Solar Frontier partners with New Energy for the World to develop 8.1MW solar farm

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 9:15 (Solarpowerportal)

Japanese solar manufacturer Solar Frontier will work with German solar developer New Energy for the World (NEW) to develop an 8.1MW solar farm in Banwell, Somerset. Read more

SolarCity: Utilities must accommodate ‘new paradigm’ of solar-plus-storage

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 9:15 (PV-Tech)

The head of public policy at SolarCity has expressed concerns that investor-owned utility companies might present similar obstacles to the increased deployment of energy storage in the same way that his company believes has happened to solar in the US. Read more

Sungevity unveils new solar quoting technology

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 8:15 (PV-Tech)

Residential PV installer, Sungevity, has unveiled a new form of technology that can determine PV installation quotes instantly with nothing more than a given street address. Read more

Chicago to offer new rooftop PV discount programme

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 8:15 (PV-Tech)

In an effort to expand the number of PV installations within Chicago, the city has unveiled a new programme – through a partnership with non-profit organisation Vote Solar – that will offer rooftop PV installations throughout the summer at 25% below market rates, according to the Chicago Tribune. Read more

DECC accused of ‘grossly overstating’ cost of solar to consumers

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 8:00 (Solarpowerportal)

Companies claiming £132 million in damages from the Department of Energy and Climate Change have rejected the department’s claim that the changes to the feed-in tariff scheme it enacted in 2011 saved customers from a £50 a year bill rise by 2020. Read more

Kyocera files suit against Hanwha Q CELLS Japan for infringement of Japanese patent relating to solar PV cells

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 7:19 (Solarserver)

Kyocera Corporation (Kyoto, Japan) filed a complaint in Tokyo District Court on July 10th, 2014 against Hanwha Q CELLS Japan Co. Ltd., for infringement of a Kyocera patent relating to solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, and modules. The complaint was filed after extensive negotiations regarding Kyocera’s Japanese patent for a “three-bus-bar electrode structure” that increases energy conversion efficiency in solar modules. Kyocera is negotiating with other parties regarding the patent, the company notes. Read more

US Must Act Now on Offshore Wind to Advance Industry, Revitalize Communities

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 19:23 (Renewable Energy World)

The U.S. Atlantic coast is a hotbed of offshore wind potential with more than 16,000 MW already designated for development. In order for projects to become reality, state and local governments need to take action, according to a new report from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Read more

USDA Plants Seed Funding for Rural Clean Energy

Friday, 7.11.2014 - 14:45 (Renewable Energy World)

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on May 5 it has earmarked up to $12.3 million in grants and $57.8 million in loan guarantees for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). This followed a Dec. 2013 statement that the USDA will distribute $250 million to rural electric cooperatives through the Energy Efficiency Conservation Loan Program (EECLP). Read more