Photovoltaics (PV) News for May 2010

Photovoltaics (PV) News Archive

Conergy builds 5 MW solar power station in Greece

Conergy AG’s Greek branch is building a 5 MW solar power station in Greece despite the current economic crisis in the country.

SunPower to expand Italian solar power park

SunPower Corp has securing €44.5 million in financing to expand the Montalto di Castro solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Italy.

Utility-scale solar thin-film farm in China

The China Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Group (CECEP) will build a 5 MW utility-scale solar thin-film power plant in Inner Mongolia.

Bureaucracy hampering solar PV installation

The PV Legal consortium has launched a comprehensive online database with data on project development processes and bureaucratic barriers hampering solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in 12 EU countries.

Global renewable electricity to grow 3.2% per year

The world will install 107 GW of green power by 2035, up from 44 GW in 2007.

Trina Solar partnership with TUV Rheinland, UL and CGC

Trina Solar Ltd has signed a strategic partnership agreement with TUV Rheinland Group, Underwriters Laboratories Inc (UL) and China General Certification Centre (CGC).

Azure Power and SunEdison develop solar PV in Gujarat

Azure Power and SunEdison will develop and construct a 15 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Gujarat, India.

Solar PV could overshoot Mediterranean Solar Plan 20 GW target

That is the conclusion following a two-day conference on the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP) where representatives from 43 Mediterranean countries discussed the potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity in the region.

Phaesun solar power plants in Liberia

German Phaesun GmbH have installed off-grid solar power plants for police barracks in Liberia in West Africa and trained Liberian electricians on site.

Fraunhofer gives its annual prize to 41.1% metamorphic triple junction PV cell developers Fraunhofer gives its annual prize to 41.1% metamorphic triple junction PV cell developers

Dr. Andreas Bett and Dr. Frank Dimroth have been awarded the the 2010 Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for their work developing multi-junction solar cells and concentrator modules.

Cornwall, UK company offers new Feed-in Tariff investment

Plug Into The Sun, a solar PV installation company has launched a scheme for investors to benefit from the UK's new Feed-in Tariff (FIT).

Oerlikon loss narrows in Q1 – solar thin-film struggling

Oerlikon’s net loss in the first quarter of 2010 amounted to CHF 104 million, compared to a loss of CHF 167m in Q1 2009. Solar thin-film sales are struggling, however.

Solar energy powers World Cup viewing in Ghana Solar energy powers World Cup viewing in Ghana

Solar energy will enable public football World Cup viewing in Oboadaka, Ghana, through the World Future council and Energiebau Sunergy Ghana Ltd.

Solar to generate 20%-25% of global electricity by 2050

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released roadmaps for solar PV and concentrating solar power (CSP), predicting that the two solar technologies could generate 9000 TWh of green power in 2050.

Solar research partnership in Australia

Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Silex Solar will research advanced technology to further improve the power conversion efficiencies of crystalline silicon solar cells.

Conergy loss narrows in Q1 2010

Conergy recorded a net loss of €5.1 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared to a loss of €27.9m in Q1 2009.

Australia launches largest roll-out of renewable energy Australia launches largest roll-out of renewable energy

The Australian Government will commit A$653 million over four years to establish a Renewable Energy Future Fund.

Phoenix Solar turns loss to profit in Q1

Phoenix Solar AG has gone from a consolidated loss of €5.98 million in Q1 2009 to a profit of €2.8m in the first quarter of 2010.

Q-Cells’ consolidated loss narrows in Q1 2010

Q-Cells’ consolidated loss for the first quarter of 2010 amounted to €46.4 million, compared to a loss of €391.9m in Q1 2009.

SolarWorld profit slumps 77.8% in Q1 2010

SolarWorld profit slumps 77.8% in the first quarter of 2010 to €5.3 million.

Bosch enters BIPV market

Bosch’s first façade solar photovoltaic (PV) system has started feeding into the grid in Germany.

Conergy sells two solar parks in Apulia, Italy

Conergy has sold two Italian solar parks with a power output of 1 MW each to Plain Energy GmbH.

Solar and wind chargers market helped by laptops and mobiles

Battery chargers using solar or wind power are paving the way for market opportunities in the European renewable chargers market, according to analyst Frost & Sullivan.

SunPower solar PV power plant in Italy

SunPower Corp is building a 1.3 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in the Lazio region of Italy for Solar Green Energy-SGE, a joint venture between EDF-EN Italia, a subsidiary of EDF Energies Nouvelles, and Emmecidue, an Italian project developer.

First Solar tops PV module suppliers list in 2009 First Solar tops PV module suppliers list in 2009

Solar thin-film manufacturer, First Solar, topped the rankings list for solar photovoltaic (PV) module suppliers in 2009, according to IMS Research.

Phoenix Solar builds 7.8 MWp of solar parks in Germany

Phoenix Solar AG will build two solar parks for SWT Stadtwerke Trier (city utility of Trier) in Germany totalling 7.8 MWp.

Tenesol and NWG partner on Italian solar PV

Tenesol and NWG have signed a partnership on the Italian solar photovoltaic (PV) market for installations up to 50 kWp.

Meier Solar Solutions and Fraunhofer CSP cooperate on solar PV

The Fraunhofer Centre for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP and Meier Solar Solutions GmbH, a producer of laminators for encapsulating solar modules, will cooperate on solar photovoltaics (PV).

Centrosolar goes from loss to profit in Q1

Centrosolar recorded net earnings of €4.4 million in the first quarter of 2010, compared to a loss of €6.3m in Q1 2009.

SunEdison plans 12 MW solar PV in Italy SunEdison plans 12 MW solar PV in Italy

SunEdison plans to complete 12, 1 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in the province of Lecce, Apulia in Italy.

ZSW thin-film solar cell reaches 20.1% efficiency

Thin-film solar cells have reached an efficiency of 20.1% at the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung (Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, ZSW) in Germany.

Bank launches initiative to generate 3 GW of solar in Asia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) says its Asian solar energy initiative will generate 3 GW of solar power over the next three years.