Etrion’s Italian PV projects have exceeded the forecasted performance, the company has announced. The company has 60MW of PV plants in operation in Italy and in June 2012 the energy production was 9% above forecast and over 30% more than during the same time period in 2011. In the first half of 2012, Etrion generated over 57 million kWh of energy, which is approximately 42 million, kWh more than in the first half of 2011. The company is expecting a 15% increase in the total production in 2012 compared to 2011.
The Business Standard issued a report stating that the government of Madhya Pradesh has approved the Solar Energy Policy 2012 legislation, which will see the development of four solar PV parks that each generates 200MW of power. The projects will be set up in a public-private partnership.
ReneSola has entered into a supply agreement with Greek Big Solar, the company has announced. Under the agreement, ReneSola will provide Big Solar with 100MW of its Virtus PV modules. ReneSola further announced the revision of its 2012 half year shipment guidance of wafers and modules, which is expected to be up to 1GW. The company assumes that the full year shipments with be up to 2.4GW compared to previous estimation of approximately 2GW.
Chinese company Sky Solar will be a conduit to help form a strategic partnership for bilateral free trade between China and Chile. CEO Amy Zhang recently attended a banquet hosted by Chilean President Sebastian Pinera in the capital, Santiago, an event also attended by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and his entourage.
Chimes International was joined by state and local officials, as well as representatives from Gas Energy Services (WGES) and Bithenergy as it commemorated its new rooftop PV system at the Terry Allen Perl Centre. The 259kW system uses 1,079 panels and was made possible through a combined effort between Chimes, WGES and Bithenergy.
IKEA recently brought its 22nd solar project online at its Tampa, Florida store. Developed, designed and installed by REC Solar, the 1,189kW system uses 4,956 PV panels and is built across 148,800 square feet of the store’s rooftop space. The companies expect for the array to produce around 1,792,300kWh of electricity per year.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey has come to blows with a group of 11 international infrastructure funds, including those managed by HSBC and Deutsche Bank. The prime minister has pledged to Parliament to tax utilities in an attempt to raise sorely needed cash from renewable energy to curb €25 billion of debt. The financial institutions are threatening cutting investment and taking legal action if reforms are tougher on renewables than traditional energy sources, throwing further companies into bankruptcy.
During Intersolar North America’s opening session in San Francisco this week, the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced its membership of the newly-formed Global Alliance of Solar Energy Research Institutes.
Valos Solar Ventures and Gehrlicher Solar have entered a joint-development agreement, the company has announced. Under the agreement, the companies are developing solar power sites for Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison (SCE), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) and other municipal utilities for RFO, RAM and RFPs. Altogether, 235MW of projects are being developed with Gehrlicher offering EPC services for the large-scale PV plants.
Swedish retailer IKEA has connected the 21st solar system at its store in Woodbridge, Virginia, the company has announced. Gehrlicher Solar developed and installed the 504kW PV system, equipped with 2,100 PV panels, on 63,000ft² of IKEA’s rooftop. IKEA has 18 more systems to install at US stores to reach its goal of installing a total of 38MW of systems.
