Solar electricity News for June 2009

Solar electricity News Archive

Tanaka: renewables have a "key role to play"

Speaking at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York City, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Nobuo Tanaka, said that renewable energy sources have a "key role to play with respect to both energy security and climate change".

New report: "5 million US jobs possible in clean tech by 2020"

In a presentation before US policymakers and analysts, leading clean energy CEOs, venture capitalists and academics unveiled the “Gigaton Throwdown,” an assessment of the US’ clean energy potential.

SCE earmarks more green power development

Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed agreements with wind and solar suppliers for up to 960 MW of clean, renewable power.

Enerqos constructs solar farms for NextEnergy Capital in Italy

Italian turnkey supplier of solar systems and plants, Enerqos, has started the construction of four 1 MW solar farms representing €1 billion of investment, in Apulia, Italy, for NextEnergy Capital, the European merchant bank specialising in renewable energy.

Lockheed Martin and Starwood Energy: 290 MW CSP plant in Arizona

Lockheed Martin will take part in the designing and building of a 290 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Arizona, USA, following the signing of a power purchase agreement (PPA) between Starwood Energy Group Global and Arizona Public Service Co.

Phoenix Solar builds 5.8 MWp PV power plant in Germany

Phoenix Solar is building a 5.8 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant on behalf of utility Enovos Group in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

E.ON inaugurates its first solar farm near Marseille

E.ON has inaugurated its first solar farm near the southern French town of Le Lauzet, some 150 km north of Marseille with a capacity of 5 MW and distributed across a 20 hectares area.

Sharp encourages South Africa to include solar PV in renewable energy law

Sharp is urging South Africa to include solar photovoltaics (PV) into its recent renewable energy feed-in tariff.

Economic crisis hits EU and US clean energy, but investment still up

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) says US$155 billion was invested in 2008 in clean energy companies and projects worldwide - not including large hydro – an increase over 2007, but growth is slowing with the economic crisis.

Consortium seeks US$425 million for CSP plant in Jordan

Jordan's BADR Investments is leading a consortium to raise up to US$425 million for a new 100 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant - one of the largest in the world - in Ma'an, southern Jordan.

Blair supports UAE IRENA bid

The United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s bid to host the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is a major boost for the developing world in the global quest for a sustainable future, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

Masdar 10 MW solar PV plant connects to Abu Dhabi power grid

Abu Dhabi-based solar integrator Enviromena Power Systems has completed the Masdar 10 MW solar power plant, the largest grid-connected solar system in the Middle East and North Africa.

South Australia aims for 33% renewables by 2020

Premier Mike Rann has announced that his State Budget will outline plans to create an even greater renewable industry in South Australia, and to increase the state’s renewable energy production target to 33% by 2020.

NREL and Dutch Energy Research Centre team up on renewables

The US Department of Energy’s (DoE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) will cooperate on renewable energy research areas such as policy studies, energy analysis, wind energy and solar photovoltaic (PV) energy.

Energy Frontier Research Center established at NREL

The US Department of Energy’s (DoE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will be the home of the new Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC), which will pursue research on material discovery for energy.

President Obama: US$467m for geothermal and solar energy

President Obama has pledged over US$467 million from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to expand and accelerate the development, deployment, and use of geothermal and solar energy throughout the USA.

SEPA releases 2008 Top Ten US Utility Solar Integration Rankings SEPA releases 2008 Top Ten US Utility Solar Integration Rankings

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has issued a report demonstrating that the solar industry has responded to SEPA Executive Director Julia Hamm’s challenge to the solar and utility industries to deploy solar power on a massive scale despite new economic barriers at Solar Power last autumn.

Intersolar: SCHOTT Solar launches InDaX 225 module series

SCHOTT Solar has announced a new generation of modules for roof-integrated solar systems at the Intersolar 2009 event in Munich, Germany.

Intersolar: Oerlikon’s Micromorph technology breaks 11% barrier

Oerlikon Solar reports that it has achieved a new record efficiency level for commercial thin-film silicon PV modules.

S.A.G. Solarstrom AG to build 13 MWp PV plant in Czech Republic

S.A.G. Solarstrom AG of Freiburg, Germany, is set to construct a 13 MWp photovoltaic (PV) plant at a former military site in Stríbro (district of Plzen), Czech Republic.

Intersolar: Intersolar 2009 saw 60,000 visitors

Intersolar 2009, the trade show for solar technology, saw visitors numbers swell to around 60,000 representing 150 countries on 26-29 May in Munich, Germany.