Solar Cells Just Need To Be Layered Like A Cake?

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 15:58 (Renewable Energy World)

Thin film solar cells, old-fashioned standby silicon solar cells, CIGS, CadTel (see First Solar), multi-junction cells....the list goes on as solar cell materials get more exotic. There was the circle of solar cells known to the world as Solyndra.  Prism Solar divided light up into different wave lengths and Solaria uses advanced optics with strips Read more

CSUN calls Kyocera patent claim a ‘crisis signal’

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 13:34 (PV-Tech)

Module manufacturer CSUN has called the three-busbar patent infringement claim by Kyocera against Hanwha QCELLS a “crisis signal”. Read more

PV producer Wuxi Suntech announces another best in class rating from OST Energy

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 12:38 (Solarserver)

The quality of Wuxi Suntech's polycrystalline silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) modules ranks above industry standards according to OST Energy's (Brighton, UK) technical review of the company. OST Energy also provided validation that Wuxi Suntech's production facilities are in line with international (IFC and World Bank) lender requirements for a primary supply chain, Suntech emphasizes. Read more

Yingli continues Japanese PV surge with 30MW supply deal

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 18:39 (PV-Tech)

Manufacturer Yingli Solar’s subsidiary, Yingli Green Energy Spain, has agreed to supply 31.6MW of modules to Spanish developer, Gestamp Solar Read more

India solar feed-in tariff proposal ‘not serious’

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 15:29 (PV-Tech)

Rumours that the Indian government is considering a fixed feed-in tariff to boost solar deployment have been dismissed as “not serious”. Read more

Study confirms China’s solar world dominance

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 14:12 (PV-Tech)

China underlined its position as the new world solar superpower last year by raising more in PV financing than the whole of Europe, according the Global Renewable Energy Report 2014. Read more

JinkoSolar opens PV module factory with an annual production capacity of 120MW in South Africa

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 13:27 (Solarserver)

JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China), on August 11th, 2014 announced that it has opened a solar PV module factory in Cape Town, South Africa. Located in 2 Evans Avenue, Epping Industrial 1, Cape Town, the factory covers an area of 5,000m2 and has annual production capacity of 120 MW. JinkoSolar invested a total of approximately USD 7.5 million in the factory which is expected to create 250 jobs. Read more

China working on settlement in US solar trade case

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 12:04 (PV-Tech)

Lawyers representing China’s government have asked the US Department of Commerce (DoC) for more time to propose a deal in the ongoing solar trade dispute between the two countries. Read more

Desert Solar conference: Saudi Arabia offers one of world's lowest solar power costs

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 10:09 (Solarserver)

Solar power costs have fallen dramatically over the last five years, thanks to lower photovoltaic (PV) module prices, lower balance of system costs, and increased competition at the development and EPC level. Financing costs have also decreased as investors recognize the low-risk profile of solar assets. As a result, solar power is now cheaper than most alternative power sources. "For systems with the right economies of scale - 10 Megawatt (MW) and above - solar power can now be generated at between USD 70 and USD 100/MWh. That price is more than four times lower than in 2009," saysThierry Lepercq, founder and president of France-based solar PV plant developer with low levelized Read more

Union of Concerned Scientists: By 2017, more than half of U.S. states could have rooftop solar PV that's as cheap as local electricity rates

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 10:04 (Solarserver)

Since 2007, the cost of installing an average-sized rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system has nearly halved, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS, Cambridge, MA) reports. In fact, after accounting for tax credits, rebates, and other support, in leading U.S. states a 5 kilowatt system could cost homeowners less than USD 10,000, and many homeowners have the option of leasing, potentially paying nothing for a solar PV installation and instead paying ongoing monthly fees. By 2017, more than half of U.S. states could have rooftop solar that’s as cheap as grid electricity –even without considering state and local incentives, finds UCS. Most regions already have a state that’s Read more

PV production technology: Yingli Solar demonstrates experimental advancements in monocrystalline ingot formation

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 10:04 (Solarserver)

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited (Baoding, China), known as "Yingli Solar," announced that the Company has successfully completed trial production of monocrystalline ingots using new material technology. Instead of using traditional graphite crucibles when pulling monocrystalline ingots, the Company experimented with crucibles made from a carbon-carbon (C-C) composite material. Yingli's initial estimates suggest that the new material could reduce manufacturing costs by nearly 0.01 USD per watt. Read more

Boston Properties, Healthy Planet Partners and Solaire Generation complete Northeastern United States’ largest garage-mounted solar PV canopy

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 10:04 (Solarserver)

Boston Properties, Healthy Planet Partners (HPP) and Solaire Generation (New York) on August 11th, 2014 announced they were “Flipping the Switch” on the Northeastern United States’ largest garage mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) canopy at Boston Properties’ Bay Colony. The solar PV canopy covers 60,000 square feet (1.4 acres) atop the 950 Winter Street parking garage. The 840 kW installation is projected to produce more than one million kWh of solar power annually. Read more

Hanergy and CNECC “Global Renewable Energy Report 2014”: solar PV market, financing activity shift from Europe to Asia

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 6:33 (Solarserver)

Hanergy Holding Group Ltd. (Beijing, China) and China New Energy Chamber of Commerce (CNECC) on August 10th, 2014 issued the “Global Renewable Energy Report 2014”. The report found that China became the world's biggest market for solar power in 2013, with the country's newly installed photovoltaic generation capacity jumping 232% on-year to 12 gigawatts (GW). Read more

Big Companies, Big Renewable Investments

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 15:35 (Renewable Energy World)

The world’s largest enterprises are realizing the benefits of renewable energy, motivating many top-tier companies to set up voluntary corporate renewable energy programs that scale up their use of on-site solar and wind power systems. Many factors have influenced Fortune 500 companies and other leading enterprises to adopt these targets, including an attractive economic return on investment, the worsening effects of climate change, and a deep concern from their customer base about environmental sustainability. Corporations are fighting to bring about public policy that facilitates renewable energy installations on commercial buildings. Twenty-four companies from the Fortune Read more

China, Brazil Consider Publicity Blitz to Steer Climate Debate

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 16:19 (Renewable Energy World)

China and Brazil are looking for ways to redirect a global climate debate, which they say unfairly accuses developing nations of delaying limits on fossil-fuel pollution. Read more

PV electricity possible at US$70/MWh Saudi Arabia, developer claims

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

Electricity from large-scale PV power plants in Saudi Arabia could achieve costs as low as US$70, according to French PV developer Solairedirect. Read more

The Future of Energy Storage: Perspectives from the Copper Industry

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 14:00 (Renewable Energy World)

As director of the Copper Development Association’s Sustainable Energy Division, I am often tasked with examining emerging trends for copper in U.S. electricity generation and infrastructure, as well as in other important energy markets. Read more

NRG Energy’s renewables earnings up as company splits into segments

Monday, 8.11.2014 - 13:45 (PV-Tech)

Leading US solar developer NRG Energy is to reorganise its renewable energy business after posting mixed second quarter results. Read more