Solar electricity News for April 2012

Solar electricity News Archive

Algeria's first hybrid solar power plant to be serviced by Siemens

Siemens Energy will provide long-term maintenance services at Algeria’s first solar combined cycle hybrid power plant.

REC closes remaining Norwegian solar production

The Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) is closing the remaining 650 MW multicrystalline wafer plant at Herøya, Norway, citing continued negative operating results due to falling wafer prices and increased competition from China.

Insolvent Q.Cells attracts interest from potential investors

Q.Cells SE, which filed for preliminary insolvency at the beginning of April, is already attracting interest from potential investors, according to administrator Henning Schorisch at HWW Wienberg Wilhelm Insolvenzverwalter.

SunPower merges Philippines manufacturing plants

US solar panel manufacturer SunPower Corp is to consolidate two of its Philippines manufacturing bases as part of a cost reduction programme.

Enel to build CSP and biomass bi-generation plant

Italian power company Enel has signed a memorandum of understanding with Enea, Italy’s agency for new technologies, and Rome’s local authority Roma Capitale, to build and test a concentrated solar and biomass bi-generation plant.

Reliance and Areva to build 250MW CSP capacity in India

French multinational Areva and Indian energy group Reliance are to build a 250MW concentrated solar power (CSP) project in India, a scheme which the two companies say will be “the largest in Asia”.

Study: PV installations will defy “doom and gloom” and grow in 2012

Installations of solar PV will grow by at least 3.5% in 2012, despite many governments slashing financial incentives for the technology, a study has revealed.

Germany’s Q-Cells to file for bankruptcy

Solar panel manufacturer Q-Cells has become the latest German solar panel manufacturer to fail, after spiralling debts and a slump in prices forced the company to file for insolvency proceedings.