A nine megawatt (MW) photovoltaic system will be constructed on the rooftop of a giant refrigerated warehouse in New Jersey, by a partnership between the family owned Holt Logistics and SunPower Corporation. The project will cost $42 million and is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

A recent report believes South Africa could be the next photovoltaics superstar, if the government implements a strategy supporting the technology. However, there are a number of barriers hindering growth, particularly in the residential sector.

Government officials have broken the ground at the site of the world’s largest solar power plant project in the Mojave Desert, California.

The Australian Federal Government has announced an injection of over AUD$750 million (€558 million) to help build two of the world’s largest solar power stations after months of uncertainty surrounding the projects.

Internet giant Google have made $680 million in investments in renewable energy in the past months. It now moves into residential solar installations with a $280 million fund allowing homeowners to overcome the hurdle of up-front costs. The investment was announced earlier this week.

At its annual general meeting (AGM), Sunways’ CEO Michael Wilhelm blamed the German Federal Government for photovoltaic market volatility, labeling its handling of the changes to energy policy as “botched” and arguing that, “a lot of consumer goodwill was thoughtlessly gambled away by reducing subsidies for private consumption.”

This year is not looking bright for the solar industry, according to Conergy. Following poor performance in the first two quarters of this year, the German manufacturer has retracted its sales forecasts.

Construction on Kenya’s first net metered photovoltaic plant has been completed. Described as the third biggest system of its kind in East Africa, the project was the result of a German-Kenyan collaboration.

Germany’s Federal Environment Ministry has confirmed that the installed photovoltaic capacity between March and May of this year amounts to around 700 megawatts. Nevertheless, the economic wing still wants to cap the market.

A new report reflecting the U.S. solar industry’s 2011 first quarter predicts that both “exciting” and “volatile” times lie ahead. The country has, to date, over 2.3 gigawatts (GW) of installed photovoltaic capacity. This is expected to double by the end of the year.