Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. has announced that its German affiliate Asola has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a joint venture 30 megawatt (MW) solar manufacturing plant in Ontario, Canada, to enable the production and distribution of solar modules in Canada. The Canadian partner is Evergreen Power Ltd.

Spain has opened the world’s largest solar power station, meaning that it overtakes the U.S. as the biggest solar generator in the world. The nation’s total solar power production is now equivalent to the output of a nuclear power station, reports the Guardian.

The state’s failure to pass the New York Solar Jobs and Development Act is putting the Empire State further behind other states in the Northeast, according to the New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NYSEIA), which advocated for passage of the landmark solar power bill.??

Solarworld AG has begun construction on its third module production facility in Freiberg, Germany, the company’s largest site worldwide. The project is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of next year. Up to 200 jobs are expected to be created.

Day4 Energy Inc. has completed the construction of two turnkey, ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) power plants in Germany, totaling over 2.5 megawatts (MW).

Soliant Energy has received UL Listing from the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. for its SE-500X solar cells. The company also says its SE-500X line is the first product certified to be under the SU 8703 UL draft standard, a new comprehensive code defined specifically to test safety parameters of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) products.

Alanod-Solar has unveiled its new lacquering facility in Ennepetal, Germany. The new facility represents a total investment of USD$25 million and increases the company’s annual capacity by nearly ten million additional square feet per year.

Hisco has said it has signed a distribution agreement with Hosiden to support the North American solar market.

Aleo solar AG has said it expects to report consolidated revenue of at least €480 million for this year. The company further anticipates a solid EBIT (Earnings Before net Interest and Tax) margin.

Global sales of photovoltaic (PV) panels reached USD$37.2 billion last year, said the European Photonics Industry Consortium’s (EPIC) Report on Photovoltaics: PV Market Overview 2009. During the same period, PV electrical generation capacity installed was 7.3 gigawatts (GW).