The Federal Network Agency recently confirmed earlier reports that in 2011, a 7.5GW capacity of solar was installed in Germany, amounting to nearly 238,000 units installed in total. Bavaria led the way with 1.75GW installed followed by Brandenburg with 1GW. The agency acknowledged that the regional shift was due to the expansion of open space systems.
UK-based Romag and Chinese LDK Solar have formed a research and development alliance to share their knowledge and expertise in the progress of solar technologies. This collaboration is the first of its kind for a UK PV module manufacturer.
German company Wattner has acquired the 5.6MW solar power plant Rätzlingen I in Lower Saxony and invested approximately €10.5 million to incorporate it into its Wattner SunAsset 3 fund.
Having posted record revenue of CHF 1.32 billion in 2011, major PV equipment supplier, Meyer Burger acknowledge that 2012 would be a lean year due to overcapacity and significant cuts to capital spending from PV manufacturers. The company guided revenue to be down significantly in 2012 and in the range of CHF 600–800 million and an EBITDA margin between 4–8%. Management noted that it didn’t expect a recovery in demand for equipment until 2013 and had started a restructuring plan to reduce operating costs with a 15% workforce reduction.
The first PV power plant constructed by Kolkata-based EMC has begun commercial operation on March 4. EMC developed the 5MW project as part of the union ministry of new and renewable energy’s Jawharlal Nehru national solar mission. Around 21,300 solar modules have been installed on a site of 25 acres in Naini, near Allahabad. EMC has signed a 25-year PPA with NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam.
Canadian deputy minister Fareed Amin sent an update on Ontario’s two-year review of its FiT program, announced in October 2011, to the ministry of energy. The changes to Ontario’s renewable energy scheme include a 20% cut to the FiT for solar and a 15% cut to wind power. All other renewables will remain at the current level. Tariffs will be adjusted annually each November and will take effect on January 1 the following year, inline with market conditions. Prices ill be set once a contract is offered rather than when a project application has been sent to the relevant department.
Hoku Solar has announced signing an agreement with a subsidiary of Alexander &Baldwin (A&B) to design and build 7.2MW Port Allen Solar Farm on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii.
First Solar has sold the 50MW Silver State North solar power plant to Enbridge, the two companies announced today. First Solar has installed more than 800.000 PV modules on a site of 600 acres in Clark County, Nevada under a fixed-price EPC agreement and will be providing operations and maintenance services to Enbridge.
Emphasis on high-performance module production and increased shipments to markets such as the US and Japan, to take advantage of growing utility-scale and residential businesses respectively, was a key highlight in JA Solar’s quarterly conference call. China, would also receive greater attention as partnerships with utility customers expanded its pipeline.
JinkoSolar Holding’s modules have successfully passed ammonia corrosion testing, which was performed by TÜV Rheinland at its Solar Energy Assessment Centre in Cologne, Germany. The testing inspected the resistance to ammonia on JinkoSolar’s six poly- or monosilicon PV modules using relative power measurements, insulation testing and visual inspections. The testing confirms that all six JinkoSolar modules will receive ammonia corrosion certification.
