Researchers Develop Faster, Cheaper Way to Make Solar Cells

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:57 (Renewable Energy World)

A faster, cheaper way to manufacture silicon solar cells, partially funded by the Energy Department and fine-tuned at its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has won a coveted R&D 100 award as one of the top technology innovations of 2013. Read more

PV R&D: Crystal Solar and NREL team up to cut silicon solar cell costs

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 9:23 (Solarserver)

A faster, cheaper way to manufacture silicon solar cells, partially funded by the U.S. Energy Department and fine-tuned at its National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), has won a coveted R&D 100 award as one of the top technology innovations of 2013. Crystal Solar's approach to growing high-quality, high-efficiency silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) wafers at 100 times the usual throughput and half the cost could be a game-changer, creating American jobs and stemming the flow of solar cell manufacturing overseas, says T.S. Ravi, chief executive officer of the Santa Clara, California-based company. Read more

Strong demand from Sharp boosts Solargiga’s earnings

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 18:15 (PV-Tech)

Integrated PV manufacturer, Solargiga Energy Holdings reported an 85.9% increase in first-half 2014 revenue as it expanded PV module production to meet increased demand from its main customer, Sharp. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne reports Q2, 2014 results: Increased PV module shipments, dropped revenues

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 15:12 (Solarserver)

Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China) on August 28th, 2014 reported its unaudited financial results for the three months ended June 30th, 2014. In Q2, 2012 Hanwha SolarOne increased solar photovoltaic (PV) module shipments including module processing services by 4.9% to 339.5 MW (Q1, 2014: 323.6 MW; Q2, 2012: 321.2 MW). Q2 total net revenues were RMB 1, 107.3 million (USD 178.5 million), a decrease of 2.7% from RMB 1,138.4 million in Q1, 201414, and a decrease of 6.4% from RMB 1,182.8 million in Q2, 2013. Read more

Hanwha SolarOne takes hit on margins in Q2

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 14:46 (PV-Tech)

Tier 1 PV manufacturer, Hanwha SolarOne reported lower module ASPs, gross margins and revenue for the second quarter of 2014, while shipments increased slightly. Read more

Myanmar’s Solar Ambitions Kickstarted with $480 Million ACO Investment Pact

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 14:27 (Renewable Energy World)

Myanmar will expand its sources of clean energy through an agreement with ACO Investment Group, a U.S.-based private-equity fund focusing on Asian emerging markets, to develop two solar-energy plants. Read more

EU-China price floor delaying European grid parity, says Jinko Solar

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 14:15 (PV-Tech)

The minimum price level agreed by China and the EU is delaying grid parity in key European markets, according to Jinko Solar’s director for the region. Read more

Scalable solar a good match for South America, says DuPont

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:32 (PV-Tech)

Falling technology costs and scalability make solar highly suitable for the South American market, according to PV materials manufacturer DuPont. Read more

Interested in Developing a 650 kW+ Solar Project in Massachusetts? Think Again (Or Be Very Patient)

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:31 (Renewable Energy World)

This week's announcement from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) may have taken some Massachusetts solar developers by surprise. Immediately following the announcement of the allocations for the 2014 and 2015 Managed Growth capacity, commercial and utility scale solar developers across New England began counting down the days t Read more

Minnesota Power joins forces with military to build 10MW solar PV project at Camp Ripley

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:25 (Solarserver)

Utility Minnesota Power and the Minnesota National Guard will join forces to build a major solar photovoltaic (PV) project at Camp Ripley, the largest military base in the state. Duluth-based Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE and the Minnesota National Guard on August 27th, 2014 signed a memorandum of understanding outlining plans to build a 10-megawatt utility-scale solar PV array at the central Minnesota camp. The project will be the largest solar power installation on military property in the state. Read more

Belgium pilot project combines solar PV modules with battery storage

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:06 (Solarserver)

Mid-August 2014 the “School of the Future” (Izegem, Flanders, Belgium) has put into service a new solar photovoltaic (PV) installation combined with a battery storage system. It is a pilot project, the first time that such an installation is placed in the Benelux, Cleantec Trade BVBA (Kortrijk, Flanders) reports. The ‘School of the Future' is a building in Izegem where schools, architects and engineers can find inspiration on modern school-building and can discover the latest techniques. For the project, the 'School of the Future' teamed up with Cleantec Trade, which distributes solar PV panels and storage systems. Read more

Hareon Solar teams with TRITEC on 600MW of international PV projects

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:00 (PV-Tech)

Swiss-based full-service project developer and EPC, TRITEC Project Engineering and China-based PV manufacturer and developer Hareon Solar are to collaborate on 600MW of international PV projects over the next three years. Read more

RET review deals blow to Australia’s solar industry

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 10:27 (PV-Tech)

The outcome of Australia’s independent review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) has called for it to be closed or significantly downsized in a blow to the country’s multi-billion dollar clean energy pipeline. Read more

International Energy Agency report: Policy uncertainty threatens to slow renewable energy momentum; Global solar PV capacity could top 500 GW in 2020

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 10:19 (Solarserver)

The expansion of renewable energy will slow over the next five years unless policy uncertainty is diminished, the International Energy Agency (IEA) announced on August 28th, 2014 in its third annual “Medium-Term Renewable Energy Market Report”. According to the report, power generation from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydro grew strongly in 2013, reaching almost 22% of global generation, and was on par with electricity from gas, whose generation remained relatively stable. Read more

U.S. electrical generation from renewables hits 14.3% as solar generation more than doubles

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 9:26 (Solarserver)

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)'s latest "Electric Power Monthly" report, with data for the first six months of 2014, renewable energy sources (i.e., biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, wind) provided 14.3% of net U.S. electrical generation, the SUN DAY Campaign announced. Conventional hydropower accounted for 7.0% while non-hydro renewables provided an even larger share - 7.3%. Wind power alone increased by 9.0% compared to last year and accounted for 5.0% of the nation's electrical generation during the first six months of 2014, while solar-generated electricity more than doubled (growing by 115.7%). Read more

OneRoof Energy announces new USD 58 million residential solar PV fund

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 9:14 (Solarserver)

OneRoof Energy, Inc. (San Diego, Calif, US), a residential solar photovoltaic (PV) services provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of OneRoof Energy Group, Inc. on August 27th, 2014 announced that it has reached an agreement with an unrelated third-party securing equity for a USD 58 million residential solar financing fund. This fund will support an estimated portfolio of more than 2,000 residential solar power purchase agreements (PPA’s) to be originated over the next 12 months initially in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New York, OneRoof Energy announced. Read more

Minnesota Power enters partnership with National Guard to construct 10MW PV array

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 6:21 (PV-Tech)

Electric services provider Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, Inc., has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minnesota National Guard over plans to build a 10MW utility-scale solar array at Camp Ripley, the largest military base in Minnesota. Read more

Minnesota Power enters partnership with National Guard to construct 10MW PV array at military bas

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 6:15 (PV-Tech)

Electric services provider Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE, Inc., has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minnesota National Guard over plans to build a 10MW utility-scale solar array at Camp Ripley, the largest military base in Minnesota. Read more

Plunge in UK Distributed Energy Investment Forecast for 2019

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 17:23 (Renewable Energy World)

Investment in the UK’s distributed power generation market will witness a significant decline from almost $2.5 billion in 2013 to $939 million by 2019, according to new analysis. Read more

Expect $1.6 Trillion in Clean Energy Investments Through 2020, Says IEA

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 15:32 (Renewable Energy World)

Investments in new clean-energy capacity will total $1.61 trillion through 2020 even as the expansion of renewables is expected to slow, the International Energy Agency said. Read more

IEA: Utilities must rise to challenge of increasing renewable energy deployment

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 14:24 (PV-Tech)

Utilities must rise to the “challenge” of increasing renewable energy deployment, while disruptive threats posed to utility companies by distributed generation and renewables should be kept to a minimum, according to top names at the International Energy Agency (IEA). Read more

Grids, policy and independence fuelling renewable uncertainty in Scotland warns Savills

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 13:29 (Solarpowerportal)

Policy shifts, the impending independence referendum and grid connection issues are fuelling uncertainty for Scottish developers and landowners, real estate agent and advisory firm Savills Energy has warned. Read more

Italian car dealer cuts energy bills through PV plant with Q CELLS modules

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 12:33 (Solarserver)

The Italian car dealer Autostar Spa (Pordenone) will bank on self-consumption of solar electricity. A 100 kw solar photovoltaic (PV) system on approximately 700 square meters of the company building's roof has been connected to the grid in August 2014. This PV array will supply Autostar Spa with solar power and thus reduce the factory's operating costs. Hanwha Q CELLS (Thalheim, Gernmany) has delivered 396 Q.PRO-G3 solar PV modules of the 250 Watt power class. Read more

Only 4 Days Left to Nominate A Project of the Year and A Woman of the Year. Nominate NOW

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 6:01 (Renewable Energy World)

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/awards Read more

EIA report: US PV generation more than doubles over last year’s output

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 5:43 (PV-Tech)

PV energy production in the US is continuing to build at an impressive rate, as a new report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) revealed that PV generation within the country has more than doubled over the last year. Read more

OneRoof Energy secures US$58 million fund

Thursday, 8.28.2014 - 4:29 (PV-Tech)

Residential PV services provider OneRoof Energy, a subsidiary of OneRoof Energy Group, has reached a deal with a third-party securing equity for a US$58 million residential PV financing fund. Read more