Europe

Testing company TÜV Rheinland has equipped its photovoltaic laboratory in Cologne, Germany, with a high resolution electroluminescence inspection system from MBJ Solutions.

The German Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU) is expected to introduce incentives for PV energy storage systems in February 2013.

The budget for solar PV in Austria has been increased from €2.1 million to €8 million through the Green Electricity Act 2012.

Italian renewable energy firm TerniEnergia installed eight PV plants in Greece in the fourth quarter of 2012 which have a combined capacity of 23.1 MWp.

German PV module manufacturer Solar-Fabrik has announced the resignation of its Chief Financial Officer Martin Friedrich.

EDF Energies Novelles Israel, the Israeli subsidiary of French renewable energy firm EDF Energies Nouvelles, is reportedly planning to install three solar plants in Israel.

Thin-film product developer DayStar Technologies has entered into an agreement to acquire seven solar projects from Arxikon Construction Company in Greece.

German PV manufacturer Conergy is building three rooftop PV plants on the Canary island of Fuerteventura, totalling 500kW.

Hamburg investment firm Conetwork Erneuerbare Energien (CEE ) has acquired a 50MW solar farm installed in Ahlhorn, northern Germany from an unnamed company.

Two US-based subsidiaries of Spanish PV company Siliken have filed for financial relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code.