Solar inverter shipments reached 4.9 gigawatts (GW) in the second quarter of this year (Q2), says IMS Research, growing by 284 percent. More than half of these shipments were for installations in Germany, which grew by 388 percent in Q2 says the company. Consequently, total shipments hit more than eight GW for the first six months of the year – a three-fold increase over the same period last year.

Sky Solar Holdings Co., Ltd, and Sinoma International Engineering Co., Ltd, a cement engineering system integration service provider, have joined hands to establish a new photovoltaics (PV) company in Beijing, China.

Germany-based Solon SE has reached an agreement with British project developer, 35 Degrees Ltd, to build a 1.3 megawatt peak (MWp) photovoltaics (PV) solar power plant near Bissoe in Cornwall, the U.K. Pending the necessary planning permits for the energy park, the company says it could be the first ground-mounted solar power plant ever built in the country.

There is no single solution for meeting energy needs, Professor Vassilios G. Agelidis, director of the University New South Wales’ Center for Energy Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA) tells pv magazine.

Ford, Detroit Edison and Xtreme Power are teaming up to establish what they say is one of Michigan’s largest solar power generation systems and electric vehicle charging stations at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in the U.S. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year.

Germany-based aleo solar AG has reported a revenue of €277.0 million in the first six months of this year, leading to a 134.5 percent increase compared to the first six months of last year. The main driver of this increase, it said, is due to the amendment of the German Renewable Energy Act. York zu Putlitz, CEO and CFO of aleo solar AG additionally told pv magazine that the company is looking to increase its production capacity by this September.

The semicondonductor industry, which has significant ties to photovolatics, due to the similarity of production processes, is experiencing strong market growth. Taiwan is projected to be the largest semiconductor market this year at USD$ 9.18 billion, while total semiconductor equipment sales worldwide will reach USD$32.5 billion, according to SEMI. It added that sales of global semiconductor equipment are up in all regions this year.

Cogentrix Energy LLC has entered into a contract with Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo), in the U.S. to develop what it says is expected to be the world’s largest concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) solar power generation facility at 30 megawatts (MW).

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is to contribute USD$15 million to Silicon Valley-based Nanosys, Inc. in order to create a new generation of “cost effective”, “higher-efficiency” products in the fields of solar, LED, memory, semiconductor, and display technology. Additionally, it says that the cooperation arrangement will “accelerate the development of commercial applications of nano-architected materials for the electronics and thin film solar”.??

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is to contribute USD$15 million to Silicon Valley-based Nanosys, Inc. in the U.S. in order to “accelerate the development of commercial applications of nano-architected materials for the electronics and thin film solar”.?? ?