Europe

UK based EPC Solarcentury has a formed a joint venture with South African firm Momentous Energy to form Solarcentury Africa.

Spanish solar manufacturer Cel Celis has opened insolvency proceedings at the commercial court of Leon, in northern Spain, amid reports that the company is in €30 million ($39.3 million) of debt.

Stefen Fischer has been awarded the Best Student Presentation Award at the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) for his work to increase the efficiency of silicon solar cells.

The Netherlands is negotiating a new energy policy “Nationaal Energieakkoor” that could see up to 2 million household PV installed by 2023.

The Spanish government has announced a series of cuts to renewable energy subsidies totalling €2.7 billion (US$3.5 billion) as part of widespread reforms to its energy policy.

Gehrlicher Solar has blamed its application for insolvency on the EU’s anti-dumping measures.

Japanese PV manufacturer Panasonic is to close its module factory in Hungary at the expense of 550 jobs.

Citing changing market conditions and an extended period of consolidation within the solar sector, PV inverter market leader, SMA Solar Technology plans to reduce its headcount further by around 700 full-time positions in Germany by the end of 2014.

With the aim of achieving 20% conversion efficiencies but with lower material costs, Solliance and imec have demonstrated a CZTSe (Cu2ZnSnSe4)-based thin-film solar cell (1x1cm2, AM1.5G) with 9.7% efficiency.

International renewable energy producers, Enel Green Power (EGP), has completed two new photovoltaic plants in Salerno Province, Italy.