Europe

The US is lagging behind the likes of Australia and Germany in pushing down the labour costs associated with residential PV installation, a Rocky Mountain Institute study has revealed.

Solar silicon materials producer, Silicor Materials is to establish a 19,000MT plant in Iceland to convert metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si) feedstock to purified solar grade silicon that it claims can be produced at US$9/kg.

Juwi has inaugurated a 25MW solar farm in the French Pyrenees with a number if sustainability and biodiversity measures included in the project.

European branch of AGC Glass, AGC Europe has signed a Letter of Intent to enter into a joint venture with Saudi Arabian glass company, Obeikan Glass.

Smartflex, a three-year project part-funded by the EU, which began in April aimed at making it possible for architects to create custom BIPV modules, has reached a number of milestones in its progress including the development of a pilot production line.

Italy’s proposed retroactive cuts on its solar feed-in tariff are a form of theft, according to Photon Energy.

German industrial group BayWa is to acquire the struggling American PV developer Martifer Solar USA.

German based renewables operator, Capital Stage has finalised an agreement with developer, Solairedirect to acquire two solar parks in the southwest of France.

A European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling confirming countries have no obligation to underwrite one another’s renewable energy clears the way for Germany’s energy reforms, the country's vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has claimed.

According to the latest report from solar market analyst, NPD Solarbuzz the UK has installed 1.47GW so far in 2014.