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.
Independent testing agency Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) Institut Fresenius in Dresden, Germany, has reportedly confirmed that Q.Cells has broken the 300Wp barrier for 60-cell modules with a recorded performance of 301Wp. The module is based on the Q.Antum technology, which Q.Cells notes is under constant development.
Blaubeuren, Germany-based Centrotherm has filed for Chapter 11-type bankruptcy protection in Ulm’s district court to start insolvency proceedings. Centrotherm has a three-month window to restructure before creditors come knocking on its door. The company named insolvency lawyer Tobias Hoefer to the board in a bid to oversee the restructuring. Last month, Hans Autenrieth, member of the management board and co-CEO stepped down from his board position. Jan von Schuckmann replaced him and was appointed chief restructuring officer.
Volker Böhm, insolvency administrator for German Solar Millennium has sold the company’s stake in Flagsol to industrial solutions provider Ferrostaal, it has been announced. Ferrostaal has announced that it will take over and continue operations as well as take over all 80 Flagsol employees. Flagsol’s headquarters will also remain in Cologne, Germany.
PV plant developer Sonnedix has bought a PV plant in the north-east of France, the company has announced. The 24MW Toul 3 project, located near the city of Nancy, has been constructed by EDF EN Services and is part of the 115MW Toul-Rosières PV park, the largest European solar park. Toul 3 has been constructed on a former NATO site, and is equipped with 500,000 First Solar panels as well as SMA inverters. The PV plant is expected to commence commercial operation this summer.
Parabel has completed and connected the Jännersdorf Solar Park to the grid, the company has announced. The PV plant generates 40.5MW of energy and is located on a site of 90 hectares. It is equipped with 167,550 Trina Solar, Suntech and Hareon modules as well as 1,894 Siemens inverters and 5.216 Schletter module tables.
Following yesterday’s report that US-based Konarka Technologies is undergoing liquidation proceedings pursuant to Chapter 7 of the US Bankruptcy Code, it has now been announced that the thin-film company’s subsidiary in Germany has also filed for bankruptcy. Attorney Alexander Kubusch of national German insolvency administration firm CURATOR AG has been appointed as the preliminary insolvency administrator.
MEMC Electronic Materials advised that during Q2 2012, it had completed sales contracts for four solar projects in Europe totalling 98MW. The company completed solar projects worth 60MW in Bulgaria and 38MW in Italy.
The Bulgarian government has announced a 50% cut to solar feed-in tariffs, having only approved a new FiT in April. Effective July 1, chair of the State Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (DKEVR), Angel Semerdzhiev, told Parliament on Friday that the renewable energy surcharge was solely responsible for an increase in electricity rates.
