Hanwha Q CELLS products not included in Kyocera patent infringement suit

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 12:38 (PV-Tech)

Updated. Tier-one PV module manufacturer, Hanwha Q CELLS, has said its review of a petition filed by Kyocera over a claimed busbar patent infringement has concluded that the lawsuit does not affect any of its products. Read more

Hanwha Q CELLS refutes Kyocera patent infringement

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 12:38 (PV-Tech)

Tier-one PV module manufacturer, Hanwha Q CELLS, has said its review of a petition filed by Kyocera over a claimed busbar patent infringement has concluded that the lawsuit does not affect any of its products. Read more

ReneSola PV modules passed type 1 fire testing for UL certification

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 11:42 (Solarserver)

ReneSola Ltd. (Shanghai, China) successfully passed module Type 1 fire testing in the first try for UL certification. This achievement reflects ReneSola's ability to differentiate itself from the competition by providing high quality solar photovoltaic (PV) products that meet rigorous safety requirements, the company emphasizes. UL 1703 requires PV systems or modules fire classification must match the minimum fire classification of the roof assembly over which they are mounted. Type 1 fire testing certifies ReneSola modules compliance with UL 1703 for integration with all Class A rated racking systems. Read more

PV production in Italy: MegaCell acquires former Helios Technology production lines to start manufacturing of bifacial solar cells

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 9:51 (Solarserver)

A EUR 3 Million agreement for the acquisition of the former Helios Technology solar photovoltaic (PV) cell production lines by MegaCell Srl (both Carmignano di Brenta, Italy) has just been signed, MegaCell announced on July 18th, 2014. The new bifacial high efficiency solar cell “BiSoN” will be produced by the end of 2014 with an annual capacity of 80 MW in 2015. The total investment amounts to 10 Million euro, MegaCell Srl announces. Read more

Q CELLS: Our PV products are not subject to the lawsuit filed against Hanwha Q CELLS Japan

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 7:11 (Solarserver)

The lawsuit recently filed against Hanwha Q CELLS Japan Co. Ltd. (Tokyo) by Kyocera Corporation (Kyoto) does not touch any Q CELLS products, Hanwha Q CELLS Japan on July 18th, 2014 announced in a press release after the company had received and thoroughly reviewed the petition filed by Kyocera. In consequence, customers of Q CELLS solar photovoltaic (PV) products, applications and solutions in Japan and beyond won´t have to face any implications caused by this action, the company emphasizes. Read more

Market not ‘cull list’ will drive solar consolidation in China

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 18:05 (PV-Tech)

Market conditions and not the Chinese government’s so-called ‘cull list’ will drive consolidation of the country’s solar sector, an industry analyst has said. Read more

Who Pays for Countervailing Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels?

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 15:50 (Renewable Energy World)

On June 2, 2014, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) made the decision to start implementing countervailing duties (“countervails”) on Chinese solar panels that will raise prices of commercial-scale and distributed solar projects. In 2013, 31 percent of all solar panels installed in the U.S. were Chinese modules. Within the distributed sector alo Read more

Get the Most Out of Solar: Cloud-Based Data Monitoring and Control Solutions

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 15:16 (Renewable Energy World)

As the cost of implementing solar panels drops, more organizations are looking to deploy solar energy solutions. Experts predict a rise in solar investment in coming years. Monitoring and analyzing data from field sensors is a fundamental part of successful solar, and wind, energy businesses. Real-time, or up to date information about the energy used and created helps businesses respond better to changes in supply, identity potential problems and manage communication throughout supply and delivery chains. Read more

NRG Energy acquires 4 MW solar PV project in the U.S. Virgin Islands from Toshiba

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 15:07 (Solarserver)

NRG Energy, Inc.(Carlsbad, Calif.), on Juliy 21st, 2014 announced the acquisition of the 4 MW ac Spanish Town Estate Solar project on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) from Toshiba International Corporation (Toshiba). Once the PV power plant is completed, the solar power will be sold to the U.S. Virgin Island Water and Power Authority (WAPA) under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The project also is expected to help the USVI achieve their renewable energy goals to reduce its fossil fuel based energy consumption by 60 percent over the next 10 years. Read more

India reveals rules for 1,500MW next phase of solar mission

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 14:56 (PV-Tech)

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has published guidelines for developers bidding in the next part of its national solar programme. Read more

Intervention from Robin Hood Airport sees solar project blocked

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 14:34 (Solarpowerportal)

A 2.04MW project has been blocked after failing to meet aviation planning requirements. Read more

Solar more than doubled share of new capacity in US for first half of 2014

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 14:11 (PV-Tech)

In the first six months of 2014, solar has represented almost a third of new electricity generation capacity additions in the US, more than doubling its performance in the same period of 2013, according to US government statistics. Read more

SERIS opens PV testing lab in Singapore

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 14:11 (PV-Tech)

R&D centre, Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) has officially opened its module development and testing laboratory the CleanTech Park in Singapore. Read more

SolarWorld gets green light to raise more capital

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 13:54 (PV-Tech)

PV module manufacturer, SolarWorld, has received shareholder approval to raise additional capital. Read more

Grupotec secures 200MW UK solar farm pipeline

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 13:36 (PV-Tech)

Renewable energy project developer, Grupotec Renewables, has secured a project pipeline of 200MW in the UK. Read more

First concentrating solar thermal cooling plant in South Africa commissioned

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 12:15 (Solarserver)

Industrial Solar GmbH (Freiburg, Germany) in June, 2014 commissioned the first concentrating solar thermal cooling system in South Africa at the MTN (Mobile TelephoneNetworks) Headquarter in Johannesburg. The Fresnel-collector with a thermal peak power of 272 kW is now connected to the district cooling system at the head office of MTN. Here the concentrating solar thermal collector is powering a double-effect absorption chiller with a cooling capacity of 330 kW. Read more

AUO solar PV storage system receives the world's first RESS certificate from TUV SUD

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 12:07 (Solarserver)

TUV SUD Group (Munich, Germany) launched a new certification mark, Renewable Storage Systems (RESS) in May this year. It mainly covers three aspects: Safety of power systems, grid compliance and safety of energy storage battery. In June 2014 AUO's solar energy storage system became the first to meet the new certification compliance and received the world's first TUV SUD RESS certificate. Read more

BYD Company to build first electric bus, battery factory in Brazil, considers manufacturing of solar PV panels

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 9:36 (Solarserver)

The city of Campinas (São Paulo region of Brazil) has been selected as the home to BYD Company’s newest factory creating approx. 450 new local jobs. The factory is slated to open in 2015 and will launch the manufacturing and assembly of the world’s only long range pure electric transit bus in South America as well as the first recyclable iron-phosphate battery packs. Read more

LDK Solar announces changes to its board of directors

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 9:14 (Solarserver)

LDK Solar Co. Ltd. in provisional liquidation (George Town, Cayman Islands, and Xinyu City, China) and its Joint Provisional Liquidators, Tammy Fu and Eleanor Fisher, both of Zolfo Cooper (Cayman) Limited, on July 18th, 2014 announced that Dr. Bing Xiang and Hongjiang Yao have resigned from LDK Solar's board of directors. Read more

John Hancock Insurance invests over USD 110 million in new solar PV in Massachusetts, North Carolina

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 6:57 (Solarserver)

Soltage-Greenwood, a joint venture between North American solar power provider Soltage LLC, and Greenwood Energy, the North and Latin American clean energy division of the Libra Group, on July 17th, 2014 announced an equity financing of USD 70 million led by John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) for the construction and operation of seven solar photovoltaic (PV) power stations in Massachusetts and North Carolina totaling 32 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity. Read more

Renewables Provide 56 Percent of New US Electrical Generating Capacity in First Half of 2014

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 16:35 (Renewable Energy World)

According to the latest "Energy Infrastructure Update" report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects, solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower provided 55.7 percent of new installed U.S. electrical generating capacity during the first half of 2014 (1,965 MW of the 3,529 MW total installed). Read more

The Big Question: What is Your Prediction for the North American Wind Power Market Post 2015?

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 15:16 (Renewable Energy World)

Today wind project development in the U.S. is at an all-time high. The production tax credit (PTC) language was changed at the close of 2012 to allow projects to take advantage of the PTC as long as they began construction before the end of 2013 and finished it by 2015. As a result of that new language, developers are rushing to get all that wind in the ground. AWEA predicts that 2014 and 2015 will be great years for annual installed wind capacity in the U.S. But what happens next really is the big question. Read more

Sainsbury’s environmental efforts bolstered by £200 million corporate green loan

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 17:48 (Solarpowerportal)

Sainsbury’s has announced that it has agreed a £200 million corporate green loan that it will use to invest in its carbon reduction and sustainability projects. Read more

H2O Pursues 440-MW Colorado Pumped Storage Hydro Project without FERC Permit

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 16:22 (Renewable Energy World)

H2O Holdings LLC on July 18 told the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission that it doesn’t agree with FERC’s rejection of a third preliminary permit for a 440-MW pumped storage hydro project, but that it won’t further appeal that rejection and will instead pursue the project outside of the permit process. Read more

Fifteen Clean Energy Yield Cos, Created Unequal

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 15:28 (Renewable Energy World)

In January I predicted 2014 would be the year "renewable energy finance comes of age." Here's how Jennifer Runyon quoted me on Renewable Energy World: Read more

Revenue Streams Are Key to Cost-Effective Energy Storage

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 15:09 (Renewable Energy World)

Definitions could make or break the energy storage market, allowing it to capture multiple revenue streams and reduce costs. A panel at the New York Energy Week Roundtable on Storage on June 19 at the Urban Future Lab in New York City explored these crucial choices. Read more

AT Capital invests in renewable energy projects in India through Orange Group

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 8:55 (Solarserver)

AT Capital (Singapore, India) a USD 2.5 billion private investment fund, has invested around USD 40 million in Mumbai (India) based Orange Group's renewable energy projects. AT Capital, which is promoted by Indian businessman Arvind Tiku, invests in a number of sectors including infrastructure, real estate, hospitality and renewable energy. Read more

REC Silicon reports second quarter 2014 results: Increased revenues, improved EBITDA, and significantly reduced debt

Monday, 7.21.2014 - 7:18 (Solarserver)

REC Silicon ASA (Fornebu, Norway) reported second quarter 2014 revenues of USD 126.9 million and an EBITDA from continuing operations of USD 31.6 million. Debt has been reduced by USD 125 million to USD 283 million, primarily due to the repayment of the Euro 81 million convertible bond, the company announced. "Strong second quarter EBITDA demonstrates the strengthening demand for granular polysilicon and silicon gases in the market," commented Tore Torvund, CEO of REC Silicon. Read more