PV module shipments have declined for the first time in two years, according to the latest figures released by IMS Research. The quarter-to-quarter shipment figure fell by nearly 10%, a drop attributed to the uncertainty surrounding the announcement of Italy's new feed-in tariff.
QSolar has shipped 56 of its 230W Spraytek79 panels to Morocco to help complete the final testing phase of the country’s three latest solar projects. Testing of the systems, which have capacities of 30MW, 6MW and 1MW and a total value of US$51.21 million, is being carried out by the Moroccan branch of Allied Solwin, Solwin Maroc Sarl.
The Solar Trust of America has formed a joint venture with SolarHybrid as it looks to establish itself in the solar industry. The new company, SolarHybrid of America, has already signed a letter of intent to establish a range of utility-scale projects in North America. This portfolio will include stand-alone systems, as well as projects incorporating concentrated solar power (CSP).
JSW Green Energy has placed an order for 500kW of United Solar’s thin-film laminates to help power a portfolio of planned on-grid rooftop projects in India. These installations are the latest signal of JSW’s intent to establish itself as one of India’s premier private power producers.
India's largest private power utility firm, Tata Power, has commissioned a 3MW solar power plant in Mulshi. The project, which is one of the largest in the entire country and the first built in the province of Maharashtra, is spread over 12 acres and took nine months to complete.
centrotherm photovoltaics and Kinetics Germany have signed an agreement with Société Nationale de l'Electricité et du Gaz (Sonelgaz) to build an integrated solar module manufacturing facility in Rouiba, Algeria. When completed, the 43,000-square-metre site, located 30 km east of Algiers, will be home to Africa’s largest solar module factory and have an annual production capacity of around 116MW.
Q-Cells is set to become the first German firm to enter into the Japanese solar residential sector and is establishing a sales network of selected local installers, Q-Cells Meister Club (QMC), to help smooth its market entry.
Italian agro-industrial group Cereals Docks has installed four solar rooftop arrays at two of its sites on the outskirts of Venice. The systems were installed by electrical engineers Elpo, which used over 15,000 polycrystalline modules and Sputnik Engineering’s SolarMax C central inverters to build the 3MW portfolio.
Solaria has officially unveiled its new manufacturing plant and solar array at the company headquarters in Fremont, California. The opening ceremony was attended by Lieutenant Governor of California Gavin Newsom, EPA Regional Administrator Jared Blumenfeld and several other state dignitaries.
Spire Corporation has started building work on a 2MW system for a school in southwest Massachusetts. The system is situated on eight acres of land at the Berkshire School in the town of Sheffield and will generate 2,300 MWh of electricity every year.
