Europe

Proposed reforms to renewable energy laws by the Spanish government have been criticised by the Spanish National Energy Commission (CNE).

China-based Zhejiang Fortune Photovoltaic Co (M-Cells) has placed an order with Singulus Technologies for delivery of up to 16 vacuum coating machines with conversion efficiencies of over 18% for multicrystalline solar cells. Delivery of the first machine is scheduled for the first quarter of 2014.

A joint development program is to mesh atomic layer deposition (ALD) with large-area substrates to provide production tool technology for improved buffer and barrier layer deposition for thin-film PV modules, including CIGS.

Nine of Europe’s biggest energy companies have called for reforms to Europe’s energy system that would see subsidies for established renewable forms such as solar scaled back.

German consumers are not given enough information about storage options when it comes to purchasing and comparing solar power systems, according to a report published by EUPD Research.

After months of negotiations, the Netherlands government has reached an agreement on energy policy reforms.

Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology, ISC and IVV are working to develop a flexible weather-resistant PV encapsulation film aimed at building-integrated PV (BIPV) applications.

A Paris-based centre for recycling solar modules has abandoned its operations in PV waste management, citing increasingly difficult regulatory and market conditions.

Renewable energy developer Juwi has signed contracts with investors Hisun PV to build two power plants in Romania.

Sputnik Engineering, the firm behind the SolarMax invertor brand, claims to have limited the extent of job losses as it begins a restructuring.