Having sold its 1MW Uterne PV plant last week, SunPower has announced it has invested in Diamond Energy, a privately-owned, alternative energy project developer and clean electricity retailer headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. SunPower has acquired a minority stake of approximately 42% in Diamond Energy and under terms of the agreement has an option to increase its ownership percentage over time. SunPower will also assume a seat on the company's board of directors.
Swiss electricity, water and gas provider SIG has appointed Sunergis to manage its 44kW PV carport project at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland while Italian carport manufacturer Giulio Barbieri has been selected to supply its PV carport system for the project.
The Chinese government’s actions this summer to further raise the country’s PV installation targets appears to have had the desired effect. IMS Research’s latest report provides hope to the Chinese market forecasting a surge in the second half of 2012 with more than 4GW of PV installations to be completed, taking full-year installations to 5GW, even though it experienced a slow start to the year with just 720MW installed in the first half.
Greenwood Energy, the North American renewable energy division of Libra Group, and Biosar Energy, the solar division of Ellaktor Group, have set up a joint venture company called Greenwood Biosar.
In its newly released mergers and acquisition report for Q3 2012, Mercom Capital Group found that venture capital (VC) funding in the solar industry was at its lowest point since 2008 totaling only US$72 million in 14 deals, compared to US$376 million in 32 deals in Q2 2012.
Between January and August 2012, Greece’s PV capacity doubled to 937MW, according to the latest report from the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator S.A. (HEDNO). This comes amid political and economic turmoil in the country.
Overcapacity in the c-Si ingot/wafer supply chain has forced materials specialist, Cookson to close one of its two ingot crucible production plants in China, with immediate effect. The company had closed a similar plant in the Czech Republic in July 2012, which has supplied crucibles, primarily to the European market. Major European-based ingot/wafer producers such as PV Crystalox are down below 30% capacity utilization on the back of weak demand.
Executives from American solar manufacturers, distributors and installers testified before the International Trade Commission demanding Chinese manufacturers be held accountable for the “unmistakable causes of damage to the American solar industry.” They added that without relief, including the application of duties for the surge in imports after the cases were filed, it is unlikely that the American industry can survive.
Australian renewable energy firm Epuron has acquired the 1MW Uterne PV plant — which is said to be Australia’s largest tracking solar power plant — from US PV manufacturer SunPower Corporation. The acquisition was financed by Australian financial services company Commonwealth Bank, making it the country’s first major bank to support a solar project of this size.
Sumitomo Corporation of America (SCOA) and its parent company Sumitomo Corporation have invested in the 550MW Desert Sunlight Solar Farm which is currently under construction in the Californian desert in the US. As a result, the companies have acquired a 25% share in the project.
