Heraeus Photovoltaics centralises solar cell R&D in US

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

The Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit is shifting all R&D activities for its solar cell metallization pastes to the US in a bid to bring next-generation products to market faster. Read more

Sungrow commissions first 1000 Vdc rooftop PV system in Canada

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 8:19 (Solarserver)

Sungrow Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Sungrow Power Supply Co. Ltd. (Hefei, China), the world’s 3rd largest solar photovoltaic (PV) inverter manufacturer, commissioned the first rooftop PV system in Canada to utilize 1,000 Vdc SG30KU inverters. Up to this point, all rooftop systems have been 600 Vdc, Sungrow notes. The 1000 Vdc 30 kW string inverters can be installed with lower wire costs and eliminate the need for combiner boxes. Read more

PV production: Heraeus Photovoltaics features two new front-side solar cell metallization pastes at Intersolar N.A.

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 7:57 (Solarserver)

The Heraeus Photovoltaics Business Unit (West Conshohocken, Pa.) will feature two new front-side metallization pastes for c-Si solar cells during the Intersolar North America 2014 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. The SOL9620 Series and SOL9621 Series represent Heraeus' latest pastes that enable solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturers to further increase their c-Si cells' conversion efficiencies to an industry-leading level and beyond, the company notes. Read more

Renusol receives MCS certification for its PV mounting systems

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 6:43 (Solarserver)

Mounting systems manufacturer Renusol (Cologne, Germany) has been awarded MCS certification for its pitched-roof mounting systems InterSole, MetaSole and VarioSole, making the company one of the few manufacturers to have received the certification for a roof-integrated mounting system. Although MCS certification is not currently obligatory for pitched-roof systems in the UK, it indicates that the mounting solution is of a high quality, Renusol emphasizes. Read more

Over 2,000 council homes to benefit from solar PV arrays

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 17:48 (Solarpowerportal)

A project which will see over 2,000 council tenancies across Babergh and Mid Suffolk fitted with solar PV arrays has started this month. Read more

West Coast US focus for BayWa following Martifer deal

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 14:14 (PV-Tech)

Germany’s BayWa has said it plans to focus on building PV projects in West Coast America following its acquisition of Martifer Solar USA. Read more

Japanese government crackdown led to 144 projects losing FiT approvals

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 13:10 (PV-Tech)

The Japanese government ministry responsible for energy has confirmed the cancellation of feed-in tariff (FiT) approval for 144 solar power projects that were without necessary equipment accreditation or land rights by a deadline that passed in May. Read more

Proposed 40MW solar farm at Wroughton Airfield releases film ahead of public inquiry

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 13:04 (Solarpowerportal)

The Science Museum and Swindon Commercial Services have published a video showing why they feel their proposed solar farm at Wroughton Airfield will be beneficial for locals. Read more

Lessons in Solar Development for the Latin American Market

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 12:52 (Renewable Energy World)

Latin America has one of the world’s brightest solar power market outlooks. High power prices and volatile fuel supplies have made solar cheaper than fossil fuels in many countries, driving new investment and capacity additions. Chile, Uruguay, and Costa Rica were three of the just seven nations worldwide to show an increase in renewable energy financing in 2013, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Read more

Norwegian Prime Minister visits East Africa’s first utility-scale solar PV Plant in Rwanda

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 12:37 (Solarserver)

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on July 3rd, 2014 opened the test-production at an 8.5 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Rwanda built, operated and partly owned by Scatec Solar (Oslo, Norway). The PV project, East Africa’s first utility-scale solar plant, will increase Rwanda’s power generation capacity by approximately 7%, and will contribute significantly towards the government’s objective to increase fivefold the electricity generation capacity in the country by 2017. Read more

Rwanda test-runs first utility-scale PV plant

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 12:00 (PV-Tech)

Rwanda’s first utility-scale PV plant, built by Norwegian firm Scatec Solar, has begun test operations. Read more

Solar Thin-Film Panels Surge to 11-Month High on Trade Dispute

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 11:49 (Renewable Energy World)

Thin-film solar panel prices climbed to an 11-month high after U.S. regulators proposed new tariffs that would close a loophole on Chinese-made modules. Read more

Brazil Plans Local Content Solar Rules to Spur Domestic Industry

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 11:45 (Renewable Energy World)

Brazil is drafting local-content policies designed to spur the development of a domestic solar- manufacturing industry. Read more

Watch: Government’s proposals to unblock the commercial rooftop market in four minutes

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 11:15 (Solarpowerportal)

The government has made it crystal clear that it wants to see a much higher rate of deployment for roof-mounted solar in the UK. Read more

SPI Solar subsidiary Xinyu Xinwei to develop, build a 50MW solar PV project in Fenyi County, China

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 10:15 (Solarserver)

SPI Solar (Roseville, Calif., U.S.) on July 2nd, 2014 announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Xinyu Xinwei New Energy Co. Ltd. has signed an agreement with the government of Fenyi County (Jiangxi Province, People's Republic of China) on the construction of a 50 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Yangqiao, Fenyi County. Once completed, the 50 MW project is expected to be one of the largest utility-scale PV power plants in Jiangxi Province. Read more

GDF SUEZ inaugurates 13.9 MW solar PV facility, reaches a capacity of over 100 MW in France

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 10:10 (Solarserver)

At the end of June 2014 GDF SUEZ Group (Montpellier, France) inaugurated a solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the town of Besse-sur-Issole (Var department) with a peak capacity of 13.9 MW, consisting of 50,000 PV panels made in France. The ground-mounted PV plant according to that GDF SUEZ will produce more than 20 million kilowatt-hours of solar power per year, an amount equivalent to the power consumption of 11,000 people - 4 times the population of the town. Read more

BayWa r.e. to enter solar PV project business in the U.S.

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 8:13 (Solarserver)

With the acquisition the majority of the assets of Martifer Solar USA, Inc., BayWa r.e. (Munich, Germany) is venturing into the solar photovoltaic (PV) project business in the USA. BayWa r.e. is already active in the American PV trade and wind farm development segments. "With this strategic acquisition, we've found the ideal partner to further our PV project activities in the USA,” commented Matthias Taft, Chairman of the BayWa r.e. Management Board. Read more

PSEG Solar Source to acquire 13 MW solar PV project in Texas from juwi

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 7:01 (Solarserver)

PSEG Solar Source (Newark, N.J., U.S) on July 2nd, 2014 announced that it will acquire a 13 megawatt (MWdc) solar photovoltaic (PV) facility near El Paso, TX, from juwi solar (JSI). The project was originally developed by JSI and has a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with El Paso Electric Company. The plant, to be called the PSEG El Paso Solar Energy Center is located 14 miles north of El Paso, adjacent to the existing El Paso Electric Newman Generating Station. The USD 22 million acquisition will increase PSEG's Solar Source's portfolio capacity to 106 MWdc. Read more

European Investment Bank provides EUR 150 million loan for solar PV, CSP and biomass projects in Chile

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 10:02 (Solarserver)

The European Investment Bank (EIB, Luxembourg) on July 1st, 2014 announced a EUR 150 million framework loan to Banco Santander Chile for financing projects contributing to climate change mitigation, especially large and medium-scale renewable energy schemes. These will include wind, solar photovoltaics (PV), concentrating solar power (CSP) and biomass projects and transmission lines for transporting renewable energy. Read more

Energy storage wins in US$4 billion loan programme

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 12:55 (PV-Tech)

The US department of Energy has included energy storage projects in a US$4 billion loan guarantee programme announced yesterday. Read more

Energy storage benefits in US$4 billion loan programme

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 12:55 (PV-Tech)

The US department of Energy has included energy storage projects in a US$4 billion loan guarantee programme announced yesterday. Read more

SunEdison building yield co assets ahead of TerraForm IPO

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 12:53 (PV-Tech)

Major PV energy provider, SunEdison, has completed the acquisition of a 50% interest in Silver Ridge Power, a PV power plant operator, for approximately US$178.6 million in cash. Read more

Barker admits to blurred lines over nuclear ‘subsidy’

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 11:15 (Solarpowerportal)

Criticism of the way the government represents support for renewables compared to other energy technologies in the UK “could have a point”, according to Greg Barker, minister for climate change. Read more

Fraunhofer ISE database: Online energy charts make German energy transformation transparent for all

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 6:50 (Solarserver)

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE (Freiburg, Germany) now provides online electrical energy data for Germany promptly and free-of-charge. “By making the data available on this website, it is our intent to promote transparent and objective discussions relating to all factors regarding the energy transformation in Germany,” says Professor Eicke Weber. Read more

5 Energy Innovators Driving Personal Energy Independence

Friday, 7.4.2014 - 6:01 (Renewable Energy World)

From parades, fairs and backdoor BBQs to sporting events, pontificating politicians and splashy fireworks displays, Independence Day is associated with a dazzling display of events celebrating the history, government and traditions of the United States. Read more