Applied Materials has reported another slow quarter in its Energy & Environmental Services division, a sign that recovery in the PV equipment industry is still far off.

The International Energy Agency has released this year’s World Energy Outlook, which predicts ongoing growth in solar and other renewable energies in both the developed and developing world. However, other experts say the organization’s findings are still overly conservative.

The American PV developer’s framework agreement with a Philippine power company is its latest move in Asian PV markets.

New data indicates that France installed 286 MW of solar PV during the most recent quarter, however the number of new feed-in tariff and interconnection applications are both declining.

New solar projects will join energy storage and other clean energy solutions as a major component of Southern California Edison’s plan to meet electricity needs following the the shut-down of the San Onofre nuclear plant.

In its third-quarter results, First Solar announced that it will expand manufacturing capacities in Malaysia and Ohio. The company also revealed that it will not be pursuing a yieldco vehicle at this time.

Republican control of both houses of the U.S. legislature is expected to lead to renewed attacks on clean energy policies and environmental law in general. However, this may not effect the course of key policies by U.S. President Barack Obama.

A week after Energy Secretary Ernie Moniz announced US$53 million in awards for R&D at the Solar Power International trade show, the DOE is opening another funding opportunity focused on integrating higher penetrations of solar.

The kerfless wafer maker has announced both efficiency improvements and operational milestones in advance of the launch of its first mass production facility.

A few months after its preliminary victories in a second round of trade cases against Chinese and Taiwanese PV imports, SolarWorld is expanding its PV manufacturing capacities in the United States.