Manufacturing

The fifth PV Rome Mediterranean 2011 kicked off yesterday. The future of Italy’s photovoltaic industry was the main focus of the opening conference. A key advertising theme is “Made in Europe”.

Enerparc AG and RWZ Solarenergie GmbH have inaugurated their 7.1 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Germany’s Bad Lausik, in Heinersdorf. Construction was said to have been completed in 10 weeks.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has offered a USD$1.2 billion loan guarantee to Abengoa for the development of its 280 megawatt (gross) concentrating solar power (CSP) project.

SMA Technology AG has commissioned the world’s largest solar inverter service center in Niestetal, Germany.

U.S. islands are being kitted out with photovoltaic systems in order to reduce their dependence on imported oil products.

Although the adoption of new photovoltaic inverter technologies “strongly” grew in 2010, they accounted for under one percent of overall inverter revenues, according to new research. However, predictions are this market will grow two-fold annually until 2015.

The Italian network agency, GSE, reports that photovoltaic installations in Italy have reached over 10 gigawatts (GW). Already this year, says the agency, 6.5 GW have been installed.

The U.S. non-residential photovoltaic pipeline is sitting at 24 gigawatts (GW), up from 17 GW two months ago, according to new research. The increase is attributed to falling factory gate module prices.

New research has shown that investment in renewable energy is growing to pre-financial crisis levels. Demand for future lending, meanwhile, is expected to come from the utilities.

Day4 Energy has signed an agreement with Ever Energy Co. Ltd under which its Day4 DNA photovoltaic cells will be manufactured in Taiwan.