Rebecca Butcher

Professor Dr. Volker Wittwer, deputy director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and supernumerary professor at the University of Freiburg, Germany celebrated his 65th birthday and retired from his position at the end of June. He will continue to consult with the institute, but will no longer serve as director to follow German service regulations.

Yingli Green, a vertically integrated PV manufacturer, is set to start providing modules on a 10MW on-grid solar plan with SDIC Huajing Power Holding in Dunhuang, Gansu Province. The provincial Development and Reform Commission in Gansu and the State Development and Investment Corporation have approved the project.

Heraeus group’s PV materials sector has hired Tung Pham as research scientist for the organization; he will work primarily in the North American lab located in Pennsylvania. Under the direction of Weiming Zhang, PV research and development manager, Pham will be advancing the company’s current paste platforms and developing new PV materials.

Canadian Solar, Inc. has announced it will now offer a six-year warranty on all module materials and workmanship—an extension of four years on the previous duration. About 90% of Canadian Solar’s production volume is included, though the company's off-grid and specialty solar products may carry different warranty terms.

Advanced Solar Photonics (ASP), has announced that its American-made monocrystalline solar panels, known as SunPanels, are now officially for sale.

The Australian parliament's upper house Senate on Thursday postponed a debate on renewable energy laws until August at the earliest, delaying the government’s plans passing the laws by the end of June.

Jetion Holdings, a solar-cell manufacturer, dismissed its chief executive and three senior managers for alleged “breaches of their service contracts and fiduciary duties”. The board dismissed the four staff on the grounds that they are operators and shareholders of a solar module producer and exporter that competes with Jetion.

SoloPower today became the first US ANSI/UL 1703-certified manufacturer of flat-plate, CIGS-based (copper-indium-gallium-selenide) PV modules. The Silicon Valley-based producer of thin-film solar photovoltaic cells and modules is well on the way to its goal of mass-producing PV modules.

An industry official reported to the South China Morning Post that Beijing is expected to enact subsidized prices for solar power production as soon as late summer. After looking at the policies of developed nations, the National Energy Commission of the National Development and Reform Commission has taken preliminary steps to enact subsidized rates for solar energy.

Taiwan's government reports that it has passed a bill on renewable energy that is expected to attract Taiwan $30 billion (US $937 million) worth of investment. Parliament approved the measure on 13 June 2009, which is aimed at adding between 6,500 and 10,000MW of installed energy from renewable to Taiwan’s current 2,287MW (5.8%) over the next 20 years.