Soitec is looking to bring solar energy to even the most remote, and sunny, parts of the world with its newly launched Sunidarity program, an initiative to help development aid organizations in supporting their efforts to promote economic and human development in the more remote regions of the globe. Soitec plans to donate its new Plug&Sun technology to three selected projects, which will be chosen for their innovation, difficulty of the challenge they overcome and integration within a global development project.
Soltecture has revamped its solar energy services, going so far as to launch a new brand deign, in order to improve client accessibility. "The focus of our new brand design is our client: they will get a focused overview of our services and portfolio," explains Soltecture’s CSO Henrik Kruepper. "Through the integration of our system solutions with our range of services, and by renaming our products in less technical terms, we are delighted to give our brand a more focused and clear identity.”
PV Evolutions and Black & Veatch advised that they are collaborating to create what they deem as the industry’s first third-party PAN file generation and validation service. The companies’ overall aim is to provide accurate models of a PV project’s performance and value, which will in turn help the decision to investment in PV power plants easier on future project developers and investors.
Micro-cap module manufacturer, China Technology Development Group Corporation (CTDC) has been notified by NASDAQ Stock Market that its shares will be delisted on May 29, 2012 should the company fail to re-establish its common stock trading above US$1.00 minimum.
Canadian Solar has supplied 2.5MW of modules for two Siemens’s projects in southern Spain. The CS6X modules will power a carport and rooftop system at the University of Murcia.
Masdar and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft advised that they will be collaborating to construct a façade test centre (FTC) in Masdar City. Fraunhofer’s Institute for Building Physics IBP and Fraunhofer ISE will supply planning and supervision services for the test centre. The FTC aims to support designers and contractors in selecting the buildings materials that will help reduce energy waste in the UAE and the MENA region.
One of the most recognised solar brands, Sanyo ‘HIT’ technology will be dropped next year and come under the Panasonic brand. The move by Panasonic, which acquired Sanyo was said to be part of a bigger strategic move to consolidate branding across multiple areas under the Panasonic name. Sanyo remains responsible for key areas in the energy sector of the Panasonic Group, according to the company.
Vertically integrated module manufacturer Hanwha is an official sponsor of the 9th annual Match Against Poverty where the world’s football elite will meet on December 13 in Hamburg in an effort to combat global poverty.
After Solar Power Portal last week reported that photovoltaic installations in the UK had begun to tail off, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has quietly updated its weekly data revealing shocking figures not even the most optimistic of us would have expected.
Approximately half of China’s PV manufacturing firms have ceased production, according to a report on the Chinese newspaper Guangzhou Daily and as cited by Digitimes. Chronic oversupply and massive price drops would appear to have nudged the lower-performing China-based manufacturers over the edge, with the solar energy division of CSG Holding’s research suggesting that half have stopped production, around 30% are at half their production capability and 20% are at pains to maintain their current levels of production.
