First Solar to develop a 50 MW solar plant in New Mexico
Photovoltaics solutions provider First Solar has been granted a power purchase agreement to develop a 50 MW solar plant in the state of New Mexico in the U.S. El Paso Electric Power will purchase the electricity generated by the plant.
Canadian Solar sells four utility-scale solar power plants
Canadian Solar subsidiary Canadian Solar Solutions has sold four utility-scale solar power plants totaling 38.5 MW to independent renewable power producer BluEarth. Construction of these plants will begin this year and commercial operations are scheduled to commence in 2014.
PVA TePla to cut workforce
Upstream solar manufacturer PVA TePla will be adjusting its capacity and embarking on a cost reduction program. One key change to come is the reduction of its workforce in Wettenberg and Jena in Germany. The company specializes in crystal-growing systems for both the solar and semiconductor industries.
US: Utilities integrate more than 2 GW for the first time in 2012
The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) has released its sixth annual utility solar rankings report that highlights new solar power interconnections by U.S. electric utilities in 2012. Annual solar capacity in the U.S. surpassed 2 GW for the first time in 2012.
Canadian Solar branches into South America
Module manufacturer Canadian Solar has opened a new sales and business development office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. With this step the company aims to expand its sales network and regional customer service in South America.
US: Three renewable energy projects approved in Arizona and Nevada
U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell has announced the approval of three major renewable energy projects that are expected to deliver up to 520MW to the electricity grid. The projects are also expected to generate more than 900 jobs in construction and operations.
South Africa: 96 MW Jasper project financing successfully closed
A consortium consisting of SolarReserve, the Kensani Group, and Intikon Energy has successfully closed project financing for the Jasper Solar Energy Project, a 96MW solar photovoltaic project. The project is located in the Northern Cape in South Africa near Kimberly.
EUROBAT releases reports on batteries for smart grids and rural electrification
The Association of European Automotive and Industrial Battery Manufacturers or EUROBAT have published two papers highlighting the specific advantages of using battery solutions to support smart grid and rural electrification development.
AFASE starts petition against import duties; EU ProSun responds [updated]
The Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy (AFASE) is now gathering signatures against the impending EU anti-dumping duties on Chinese solar modules. This petition is a last minute attempt to stop the penalties. EU ProSun has now released a statement calling the action a “panic-maker”.
Intersolar Award with a strong focus on storage innovations
The finalists have been announced. For the sixth year running, the best innovations will be graced with the Intersolar Award. The need for self-consumption and thereby storage has strongly increased with the fall in FITs. Hence there is a strong representation of storage solutions amongst the finalists as well.
