PV production technology: Natcore finds additional solar cell cost savings by switching catalyst from silver to copper

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:45 (Solarserver)

Scientists working for Natcore Technology Inc. (Red Bank, New Jersey, U.S.) at the Rice University lab of Prof. Andrew Barron, a Natcore co-founder, have successfully used copper as a catalyst for silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) wafer production. Copper only costs about USD 0.20 per troy ounce, or 1/100th of the cost of silver that is usually applied. "This is another step in our push to bring down the cost of solar energy and to make it cost-competitive with energy derived from conventional sources," says Chuck Provini, Natcore's president and CEO. Read more

Suntech targets 1GW of PV in Japan for US$2.5 billion - report

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:19 (PV-Tech)

Chinese module manufacturer Wuxi Suntech could seek to install 1GW of PV generation capacity in Japan over the next three years, according to a report in Japanese economic newspaper Nikkei Keizai Shimbun. Read more

Duncan Renewables completes 240kW array for AV Dawson

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 18:55 (Solarpowerportal)

AV Dawson, a Teeside-based distribution company, is tackling escalating energy bills after installing a solar PV array at its Riverside Park warehousing. Read more

For the Birds: How Speculation Trumped Fact at Ivanpah

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 17:48 (Renewable Energy World)

With its claim of 28,000 dead birds from Ivanpah, the Associated Press syndicated a story on every front page in America, spreading alarm about concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, which was not grounded in facts, but on one opponent's speculation. Read more

Delhi, India Plans to Spur Rooftop Solar with Net Metering

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 16:59 (Renewable Energy World)

India’s blackout-prone capital introduced a policy for households and businesses to earn credits for solar power produced on rooftops, planning to replicate a model that sparked booms in the U.S. and Japan. Read more

Trina Thrives on Solar Financing

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 16:38 (Renewable Energy World)

Investors were applauding a new announcement by Trina Solar (NYSE: TSL), after it disclosed a deal that would see it help to finance and build a massive solar power farm in southwest Yunnan province. The deal should indeed help Trina generate big sales for the near-term, as it involves construction of a farm with huge capacity of 300 megawatts of p Read more

5 Lessons Solar Marketers Can Learn from the ALS Icebucket Challenge

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 16:15 (Renewable Energy World)

I tried to avoid it, but after several call-outs by family and colleagues (and a quiet donation), I knew I had to finally respond to the “ALS Ice Bucket Challenge” when Henry Dziuba, president of SMA America called me out after this: It was creative, and I respected that, so I couldn’t ignore it and I couldn’t just toss a bucket of ice cold water o Read more

The Inevitability of Solar

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 15:46 (Renewable Energy World)

Things are bad for those who breathe air these days, and things will probably get a lot worse before a change in behavior is forced upon humankind. This is because despite demonstrable evidence of climate change, despite the fact that natural gas is not a clean energy source and despite the fact that building more nuclear facilities takes longer than installing solar and costs more, governments are once again turning to the old polluting and expensive standbys to power our world. Read more

Buffett’s Renewables Bet Emboldens Companies to Pursue Wind and Solar

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 14:53 (Renewable Energy World)

Vaisala Oyj, a Finnish maker of meteorological equipment, plans to make the most of growing interest in renewables as investors including Warren Buffett put billions of dollars into the area. Read more

Borrego Solar to use LG’s ‘Mono X NeON’ modules

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 13:19 (PV-Tech)

US-based PV installer, Borrego Solar Systems has signed a deal with LG Electronics, which will see the Korean manufacturer supply 24MW of its ‘Mono X’ series PV modules. Read more

Mercom downgrades India 2014 solar forecast

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 12:01 (PV-Tech)

Clean energy consultant, Mercom Capital, has readjusted its forecast for 2014 solar installations in India from 1GW to 900MW in its quarterly update of the Indian Solar market. Read more

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company acquires USD 880,000 solar PV Portfolio

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:50 (Solarserver)

Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC (New York, U.S.) on September 2nd, 2014 announced that it signed a definitive agreement on August 28th, 2014 through a wholly-owned subsidiary to acquire a USD 880,000 solar photovoltaic (PV) portfolio with assets in Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and surrounding areas in Colorado. The Sunny Mountain Portfolio consists of rooftop and ground mount solar photovoltaic (PV) systems located on municipal, commercial and residential properties. Solar power produced by the Portfolio is sold under long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). Read more

Canadian Solar sold 11 MW of PV modules to Conti Group in Q2, 2014

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:45 (Solarserver)

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Ontario) on September 2nd, 2014 announced that it supplied Conti/SunDurance (Edison, New Jersey) with 11 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules during the second quarter of 2014. For this 11 MW order, Canadian Solar delivered to the Conti Group in total 37,202 pieces of CS6X PV modules in 6x12 cell matrix with UL 1000V certificate. During their 25 year life span, these modules will turn solar energy into 360,000 MWh of solar power, Canadian Solar notes. Read more

juwi enters Philippine solar PV market with utility-scale plant to replace old diesel generators

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:44 (Solarserver)

Germany based juwi group has expanded its global footprint to the Philippines. The company will realize its first solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Mindanao, the second largest and southernmost major island in the Philippines. juwi has been selected as the preferred EPC partner to build a ground-mounted, grid-connected utility scale solar PV plant by the project’s sponsors, an international developer and sector focused private equity fund. Read more

Powerway starts mounting system construction at Pakistan’s largest PV power plant

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:42 (PV-Tech)

Major PV mounting systems specialist, Powerway has started ground screw foundation work at the 100MW Quaid-e-Azam Solar Energy Park in Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Read more

Solar body urges higher 2030 renewables target for EU

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:27 (Solarpowerportal)

Trade body the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) has called on the European Council to set binding renewable energy targets for individual EU countries at its next meeting. Read more

Solar body urges higher 2030 renewables target for EU

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:25 (PV-Tech)

Trade body the European Photovoltaic Industry Association has called on the European Council to set binding renewable energy targets for individual EU countries at its next meeting. Read more

Commerce takes more time to consider cyberhacking impact on solar case

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 9:24 (PV-Tech)

The US Department of Commerce (DoC) has given itself more time to consider the impact of alleged cyberhacking on its investigation into Chinese solar panel imports. Read more

Powerway provides mounting systems, construction services for Pakistan’s first 100 MW solar PV project

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 9:16 (Solarserver)

In Quaid-e-Azam Solar Energy Park in Bahawalpur of Pakistan, a 100 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project is being constructed, Powerway Renewable Energy Co. Ltd. (Foshan, China) reports. The company is providing solar mounting systems and ground screw foundations, as well as construction services for this large project. The project, which is reported to be the first large-scale ground-mounted solar PV plant in Pakistan, will be completed in 2014. Read more

Fortinet goes green with 900 kW solar PV carport, rooftop array

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 9:09 (Solarserver)

Fortinet (Sunnyvale, CA, US), a world-wide provider of network security appliances and a market leader in network security, has flipped the switch on a 900 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system which blankets its Santa Clara corporate campus. Fortinet contracted with Blue Oak Energy (Davis, CA, US) to design and install this campus solar carport and rooftop project. The new distributed solar energy facility is comprised of 3,148 Canadian Solar PV modules, located on rooftop and parking-structure locations. In addition to generating clean energy onsite, the parking canopies offer shade and cooling to the staff’s vehicles during daytime work hours. Read more

Ascent Solar announces new common stock investment of USD 8 million, led by largest shareholder TFG Radiant Investment Group

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 9:02 (Solarserver)

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (Thornton, Colo., US), a developer and manufacturer of flexible thin-film solar photovoltaics (PV) on September 2nd, 2014 announced today that it entered into a Stock Purchase Agreement (SPA) on August 29th, 2014 with existing stockholders TFG Radiant Investment Group and Series A investor, Seng Wei Seow for approximately USD 8.0 million of common stock. Read more

Trina Solar announces acquisition of majority stake in PV project developer Yunnan Metallurgical New Energy with a 300 MW pipeline

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 6:55 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Limited (Changzhou, China) on September 2nd, 2014 announced it has entered into a share purchase agreement and acquired a 90% stake in Yunnan Metallurgical New Energy Co. Ltd. Yunnan Metallurgical New Energy is committed to developing downstream solar photovoltaic (PV) projects and currently has a 300 MW project under development in southern Yunnan province. Upon operation, it will become the largest single utility-scale solar PV plant in Yunnan and one of the largest in China. Read more

A Rarely Tapped City Strategy for Boosting Local Renewable Energy

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 16:12 (Renewable Energy World)

Many cities served by private utilities think they have little capacity to encourage local renewable energy development.  But a largely untapped tool — utility franchise contracts — may hold the key. There are two kinds of city energy systems: publicly owned or privately owned. Cities with municipal utilities already have the power to implement the Read more

Eco Wave to Raise $5 Million to Accelerate Ocean Energy Plans

Wednesday, 9.3.2014 - 11:59 (Renewable Energy World)

Eco Wave Power, based in Israel, plans to raise $5 million by the end of the year to further develop its technology and projects that harness the power of the ocean to generate electricity. Read more