Europe

Major PV equipment supplier, Meyer Burger has officially opened its heterojunction (HJ) solar cell pilot production line with CSEM at subsidiary, Meyer Burger Research AG in Hauterive, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

PV manufacturer China Sunergy (CSUN) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Deniz Finansal Kiralama (DenizLeasing), that will see the pair offer solar through leasing in Turkey.

Trina Solar has won a 28.5MW contract with Camborne Capital and sPower for the pair’s UK project collaboration.

High-tech manufacturing equipment firm, Manz AG reported record revenue for the first nine months of 2014, driven by its Flat Panel Display segment, which generated €179.9 million from the total revenue of €250.9 million.

Allianz Capital Partners’ Renewable Energy Fund has acquired two ground mount solar parks in Germany.

France connected 286.3MW of new PV systems in the third quarter of this year, according to the country’s solar association, Enerplan.

The impact of a solar eclipse on European power grids will be negligible despite warnings of blackouts by the chief of the French network as a consequence of the amount of PV now on the system.

The UK’s High Court has ruled that changes to support for large-scale solar projects in the UK were legal as it refused an application for a Judicial Review.

There is to be a two stage reduction in solar FiT payments with the single payment offered for systems under 30kW to also be reduced.

First Solar and Belectric have started construction of one of the UK’s largest solar farms, a 46MW project in Oxfordshire that will bring large-scale PV capacity deployed by the pair in the UK up to 80MW when completed.