Photovoltaics (PV) News for January 2009

Photovoltaics (PV) News Archive

US House and Senate proposals for renewable energy

Just before the House of Representatives passed the US$819 billion economic stimulus package at the end of January, both the House and the Senate issued proposals for renewable energy incentives.

SunEdison acquires Business Institute Solar Strategy

SunEdison has acquired Business Institute Solar Strategy GmbH (BISS) providing SunEdison with 38 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects under development in Italy and Spain.

Fraunhofer: 41.1% efficiency multi-junction solar cells Fraunhofer: 41.1% efficiency multi-junction solar cells

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has achieved a record efficiency of 41.1% for multi-junction photovoltaic (PV) solar cells.

Econcern could boost Italy’s solar capacity

Econcern plans to install 42 MW of solar capacity in Puglia, southern Italy boosting Italy’s solar capacity by 15%.

REC Wafer and LG Electronics sign multi crystalline wafers supply agreement

REC Wafer has signed a long-term agreement with LG Electronics Inc in Korea for the supply of multi crystalline wafers.

Suntech Power Holdings reports full year results

Suntech Power Holdings Co, a photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer, has reported preliminary financial results for the fourth quarter (Q4) and full year 2008.

PV law introduced in Greece

A new photovoltaic (PV) law has been introduced in Greece amending the current legislation and setting new feed-in-tariffs.

Solar staff hit by financial situation

Oerlikon is planning around 1,000 layoffs following other similar announcement in the solar industry.

Piloting silicon-ink solar cell production

The installation of a 10 MW silicon-ink based solar cell pilot production line has been completed by Roth & Rau AG and Innovalight.

Enviromena constructs 10 MW on-grid solar plant

Masdar and Environmena Power Systems are constructing a 10 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Isofoton installs PV in Morocco

Isofoton will set up 1215 photovoltaic (PV) grid-integrated installations in Errachidia and Ben Guerir, Morocco.

Masdar PV and Parabel sign silicon thin-film deal

Masdar PV GmbH has signed a letter of intent for the delivery of over 50 MWp silicon based thin-film modules with Parabel AG until 2011.

Phoenix Solar Energy Investments acquires Scarlatti SRL

Phoenix Solar Energy Investments AG, a wholly owned subsidiary of Phoenix Solar AG, has acquired all the shares in Scarlatti Srl.

Phoenix Solar extends deal with KG Allgemeine Leasing

Phoenix Solar AG has raised the volume of the framework agreement signed in September 2007 with KG Allgemeine Leasing GmbH & Co by at least €50 million and extended it through the year 2011.

All eyes on the US for renewables in 2009

As 2009 gets underway, all eyes are turned towards the US, a market poised to begin a dramatic transition in energy and climate policy, but facing decisions still steeped in political wrangling, according to analyst Emerging Energy Research.

Elsevier site for energy researchers

Elsevier is launching a ‘one-stop’ site for energy researchers covering all aspects of energy including renewables.

Spire receives 100 MW solar contract

Spire Corporation has received a contract to provide 100 MW module manufacturing equipment for Solaria Energia y Medio Ambiente's new facility.

Suntech reaches 1 GW production capacity

Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd has reached 1GW photovoltaic (PV) cell and module production capacity and opened new headquarters in Wuxi, China, incorporating a 1 MW grid-connected building integrated solar facade.

Tata Power explores geothermal and solar

Tata Power will explore the possibility of setting up a 5 MW geothermal power plant and a 5 MW solar power plant in Gujarat, India.

Yingli Green Energy buys Cyber Power

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Ltd has completed the acquisition of solar polysilicon company Cyber Power Group Ltd.

WFES09 reports 132 visiting solar companies

The World Future Energy Summit (WFES09) will see 132 solar-related companies exhibiting on January 19-21, 2009.

ersol and Renusol co-delevop thin-film mounting system

ersol Thin Film GmbH, a subsidiary of ersol Solar Energy AG, and Renusol GmbH, a company of CENTROSOLAR Group AG, have concluded a cooperative agreement to co-develop a special system to mount ersol's Nova®-T series of thin-film modules.

Solar streetlights

The Massachusetts Maritime Academy, has just completed the installation of solar-powered outdoor lighting.

NEF: Clean energy shares on the up after 61% battering in 2008?

Clean energy shares have been benefiting from an 'Obama Bounce', surging from their lows in November last year, according to leading analysis company New Energy Finance.

UK's RE industry of growing importance

Recruitment company Resourcing Solutions predicts the renewable energy industry will have a growing importance in the UK job market.

Solar boat

The construction of what could be the biggest solar boat in the world has begun in Germany.

Obama's green dollars

In a speech on 8 January, President-elect Barack Obama made it clear renewables would play an important part in saving the US economy.

VC investment in RE reaches US$2.5bn in Q4

Fourth quarter data from Greentech Media show that venture capital (VC) investment in green technologies exceeded US$2.5 billion in the fourth quarter of 2008, down 1.4% from Q3.

CTDC to build 30 MW solar power station

China Technology Development Group Corporation (CTDC) and Qinghai New Energy Group (QNE) have signed an agreement with local government to build a 30 MW on-grid solar power station in the Qaidam Basin of north-western China.

Auria Solar uses Oerlikon's thin-film technology

Oerlikon Solar has announced that Auria Solar (Taiwan) is now the first customer in Asia to begin production of thin-film silicon solar modules using Oerlikon’s micromorph® technology.

SCHOTT Solar reports "record" 2007/2008 financial results

SCHOTT Solar AG has reported “record results” for the financial year 2007/2008 ending 30 September 2008.

Japan accepts applications for residential solar

According to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA) will start accepting applications for the residential solar generation installation subsidies from mid-January as part of the implementation of the Japanese residential solar generation installation subsidy programme, which was incorporated in the supplementary budget for this fiscal year.

40 MW solar PV station connected to grid

The German juwi group has completed grid connection of its 40 MW Waldpolenz energy park in Brandis, near Leipzig in eastern Germany.

US solar PV activity rising

The US solar photovoltaic industry saw a 50% increase in shipments in 2007, according to a report from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), part of the Department of Energy (DoE).