The latest figures for the German Bundesnetzagentur show that registered installations in Germany in the first eight months of 2010 reached 4.8GW, a massive 327% higher than the same period in 2009. According to IMS Research, Germany accounted for 48% of global demand in the first three quarters of 2010 – up from 40% for the same period in 2009.
The state of Ohio continues to assist in the development of the region’s growing solar photovoltaic sector, with the award of nearly $1.7 million in job training funds to four area companies: First Solar, Xunlight, Buckeye Silicon, and Nextronex. The grants represent the first monies distributed by the state’s Energizing Careers Program, which was launched in June with a budget of $6 million made possible through Recovery Act funds directed through the U.S. Department of Labor.
In IDC Energy Insights latest report, Technology Selection: Reducing Fire Risk in Rooftop Solar PV Systems, not only are the risks of a fire occurring on a rooftop PV solar system addressed, but so are the methods of prevention. IDC acknowledges that most owners of rooftop PV systems tend to overlook the potential fire risks as PV systems require little maintenance and don’t have moving parts. However, one of the leading risks of a fire on a rooftop system lies in the possibility for electricity to arc across an unwanted gap in the system’s electrical circuit creating an arc-fault.
In order for the Genesis Solar Energy Project and the Imperial Valley Solar Project to qualify for federal stimulus funds, they needed the approval of the California Energy Commission before December 31 and as the clock counted down, the Energy Commission gave their final approval for the two new solar projects in Southern California this week. The two projects are the fifth and sixth solar power plants that the Commission has given their approval for over the past five weeks...
Satcon Technology and GCL Solar Systems signed a manufacturing agreement to boost production of Satcon’s 500kW PowerGate Plus solar PV inverters in the Asia Pacific market. GCL will develop a manufacturing facility in Nanjing, China, which they expect will produce over 500MW of the inverters in 2011. Satcon will supply GCL with the manufacturing processes and technologies for the PowerGate Plus in order to complete final assembly at the GCL solar plant.
With only two major glass manufacturers (Asahi and NSG Group) able to offer transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glass, used for thin-film PV modules, a new partnership between equipment suppliers, Beneq Oy and Glaston, is set to open the market to independent glass producers with complete TCO coating lines.
Taiwan has reportedly increased its target for generating power from renewable sources after the new feed-in tariff law significantly increased the demand for emissions-free electricity on the island. The new installed power capacity target is set to reach 16% by 2025 in comparison to the previous 15.1% milestone.
Singulus Technologies has received an order from an unnamed client in Singapore, for its Timaris vacuum deposition system for data storage technology. This order is therefore added to the other two received in July this year, bringing the total order intake for the three machines to over €8 million.
Sharp Electronics has confirmed its supply agreement for the 58MW (DC) (45MW AC) Avenal photovoltaic solar power facility, located in Central California. Once complete, the three plant project will be the largest in the state, supplying renewable energy to PG&E under 20-year power purchase agreements approved by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
centrotherm photovoltaics announced its newest supply order, which has been made by two unnamed Chinese customers, for 60MW of its turnkey lines used in the manufacturing of crystalline solar cells. Payment amounts were not published, but centrotherm advised that both customers were “investing a double-digit amount in millions of Euros.” Prepayment has already been accepted for one of the two orders and centrotherm advised that the two companies, one of which is a Chinese state operation, are new in the solar cell production division.
