Yingli Green said it will supply its 250W multicrystalline modules to Malaysia’s largest PV power plant.
Cupertino Electric, a specialist in the design and installation of customised electrical solutions, has installed 5.9MW of PV capacity for Clovis Unified School District in California, US.
Qatari energy distributor Kahramaa has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding granting approval for Qatar Foundation’s Solar Smart Grid Project Connectivity to be connected to Kahramaa’s main grid.
One of Germany’s top three solar module manufacturers, aleo solar, is holding initial meetings seeking a buyer for the Bosch Group’s 90.7% shares in the company.
The Russian government has reportedly approved a subsidy programme for renewable energy projects including solar developments.
Affordable Solar and finance company Sunnova Energy have announced a new solar leasing programme that includes installation, monitoring, repairs and insurance for a low monthly fee for homeowners in New Mexico.
Japanese electronics manufacturer Panasonic is reportedly planning to terminate its solar wafer production line at its manufacturing plant in Oregon, US, at the end of June.
To meet a series of utility-scale PV projects in South Africa as part of the South African Department of Energy’s (DoE) Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), ABB is planning to open the new PV inverter production line at its existing facilities in Johannesburg in 2014.
Portuguese EPC firm Martifer Solar has been awarded an EPC contract for a 30MW PV facility in Mexico, which, according to the company, will represent the largest PV plant in Latin America to date.
Finland-based industrial automation specialist, Cencorp, has assembled its first PV module with conductive back sheet material as part of a plan to offer the technology to PV manufacturers.
India has only achieved 60% of its targeted solar installation goal so far, according to a report by clean energy communications and consulting firm Mercom Capital.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has finalised its 150MW solar feed-in tariff (FiT) which it claims is the largest solar incentive scheme for any US city.
Three of the world’s largest solar companies gathered at the Grand Hyatt Beijing Hotel today to protest against European Commission plans to levy tariffs as high as 67.9% on Chinese products.
Chilean authorities green-lighted four solar power projects with a total capacity of 206MW in April, according to a report published this month by Centro de Energias Renovables (CER), a Chilean renewable energy research group.
The UK’s energy and climate change minister, Greg Barker, has arrived in Brussels today to lobby the European Commission (EC) over proposed plans to impose trade duties on Chinese-manufactured solar products.
Japan installed 1,559MW of PV capacity between 1 April 2012 and 28 February 2013, according to statistics compiled by Japan’s Agency for Natural Resources and Energy and published by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
PV power systems specialist, Bentek Solar claims to have shipped over 100MW of its new 1000VDC Breaker Universal Safety Systems (BUSS) since the product was only launched back in March, 2013.
PV energy provider (PVEP), SunPower, is to raise US$300 million to pay down some of its outstanding debentures and use the proceeds for working capital requirements.
Remaining confident it can successfully restructure its debts with creditors and continue operating, SolarWorld wants to complete talks with creditor sometime in August, 2013.
The bankrupt main manufacturing subsidiary if Suntech Power Holdings is reported to have debts of over US$2.8 billion.
Talks between the EU and China over the solar photovoltaic (PV) trade dispute broke down after the first round, according to a statement from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME).
SunPower Corporation (San Jose, California, US) has proposed the issuance of USD 300 million in convertible notes, to mature on June 1st, 2018. Parent company Total SA (Courbevoie, France) has agreed to purchase USD 200 million of these bonds, assuming that the other USD 100 million is sold. The bonds will pay interest semi-annually, at a rate of 0.75% annually, and SunPower expects the sale of the bonds to close on May 29th, 2013.
On May 23rd, 2013 Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E, San Francisco, California, US) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) held a dedication ceremony for a sodium-sulfur battery system in San Jose, California. According to PG&E, the Yerba Buena Battery Energy Storage System Pilot Project has the potential to support increased penetration of wind and solar resources on California's electric grid, and is currently undergoing testing. At 4 MW, the system is California's single largest battery system.
On May 23nd, 2013 UK Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change Greg Barker traveled to Brussels with a delegation from the UK solar industry to argue against punitive EU tariffs on Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) imports. Barker stated on his Twitter account that he had written personally to all 26 EU Environment ministers to urge them to vote against anti-dumping tariffs. Various publications have reported that these tariffs have been authorized by the European Commission in a preliminary decision, but still require the approval of a majority of EU nations.
On May 21st, 2013 the EU parliament passed a non-binding resolution calling for a mandatory EU-wide target for renewable energy in 2030, but did not decide on that target. The initial motion was approved 339-336, however a proposal to set a mandate between 40% and 45% of the overall energy mix by 2030 was voted down 365-284. The European Commission is currently working under an assumption of 30% renewable energy by 2050.
On May 21st, 2013, Sempra U.S. Gas & Power (San Diego, California, US) announced that Consolidated Edison Development has agreed to acquire a 50% stake in two Sempra's large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the U.S. Under the agreement, Consolidated Edison Development and Sempra each will own a 50% interest the 150-megawatt (MW) Copper Mountain Solar 2 plant near Las Vegas, Nevada, and the 150-MW Mesquite Solar 1 power plant near Phoenix, Arizona.
Fronius USA Solar Electronics Division has launched the new Fronius Service Program. The service program helps solar photovoltaic (PV) system installers maximize customer energy yields by certifying them to complete board-level replacements in the field, reducing system downtime to minutes instead of days.
Navigant Research (Boulder, Colorado, US) has released a new report stating that more than 480 micro-grid projects are proposed, planned, under construction, or operating worldwide, representing nearly 3,800 megawatts (MW) of capacity. The report “Microgrid Deployment Tracker 2Q13” provides data on micro-grid projects in the proposal, planning, and deployed stages, including details on the various technologies employed in individual projects.
On May 21st, 2013, Ascent Solar Technologies Inc. (Thornton, Colorado, US) announced that it has opened the company's retail locations in Colorado.
Martifer Solar SA (Oliveira De Frades, Portugal) has announced that it will supply engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services to Gauss Energía (Mexico City, Mexico) for a 30 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Baja California Sur, Mexico.