Japan has published its latest strategic energy plan, originally formulated in 2003 and reviewed every three years by conference bodies as well as various opinion polls. The latest revision includes a road map of energy-based economic growth and reformation of the energy infrastructure. The strategy is to ensure growth and encourage multi-faceted international trade by taking into account the social cost and price differences between nuclear, thermal and renewable energy generation.
MEMC Electronic Materials advised that during Q2 2012, it had completed sales contracts for four solar projects in Europe totalling 98MW. The company completed solar projects worth 60MW in Bulgaria and 38MW in Italy.
Ontario’s Thunder Bay Airport Solar Park has been chosen as a finalist in Intersolar North America’s 2012 Solar Project Award competition. The project, owned and developed by SkyPower and EPC-contracted to Canadian Solar was hand-selected by an expert panel as one of entries under the “Solar Projects North America” category.
During next week’s Intersolar North America, July 10-12 in San Francisco, Rehm Thermal Systems will have its latest vacuum soldering technology on hand, including its VS 160S vacuum soldering system.
The Bulgarian government has announced a 50% cut to solar feed-in tariffs, having only approved a new FiT in April. Effective July 1, chair of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR), Angel Semerdzhiev, told Parliament on Friday that the renewable energy surcharge was solely responsible for an increase in electricity rates.
Trina Solar has launched its training academy in the UK, the company has announced. The academy’s target group are installers and distributers that work with Trina products and the aim is to help them with marketing and sales as well as product training and information. The company has scheduled online seminars beginning July 6, 2012, for example for theTrinamount or Trinasmart systems, as well as workshops. The academy is linked to Trina’s Partner Plus program, though non-partners can participate as well.
A car carrier equipped with Panasonic’s hybrid power supply system has been finished, the company has announced. Panasonic supplied the Emerald Ace with a 160kW PV system as well as lithium-ion batteries. The system is primarily used to power the ship while it is at anchor so the diesel generator can be turned off.
Clenergy will be providing its PV-ezRack SolarTerrace I-B ground mounting system for a 40MW solar power station being developed in Jiayuguan, China by one of the country’s leading utility company’s and a well-known, but unnamed Chinese PV panel manufacturer. Clenergy’s PV-ezRack is the company’s newest product. It features beam and support components, which are standardized and fasteners of the same specification.
Solutia’s stockholders have voted in favour of its previously announced acquisition by Eastman Chemical Company. The original merger agreement was signed on January 26 and states that stockholders will receive US$22 in cash and 0.12 shares of Eastman common stock for each share of Solutia common stock.
With shipping due to commence in autumn 2012, Kaco New Energy used Intersolar Europe a fortnight ago as a platform to launch its new energy storage and management system, Powador-gridsave.
