Japan reaches for stars to develop orbital solar
“It would be difficult and expensive, but the payoff would be immense, and not just in economic terms,” says Susumu Sasaki, professor emeritus at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Gehrlicher sees strong prospects following management buyout
The new company took over all the invested capital and intangible assets, including patents, trademarks and brands, of the insolvent Gehrlicher Solar AG.
Power-One rebranded as ABB
The move is part of the power and technology group’s full integration of the U.S. inverter manufacturer ahead of this year’s major trade fairs.
Heraeus achieves 21.2% record efficiency with metallization pastes
It is the highest efficiency ever achieved on an industrial screen-printed PERC silicon solar cell, according to the German company.
TÜV Rheinland partners with TRaC Global on new desert climate tests
With an eye on the burgeoning PV market in the MENA region, the testing and certification organizations are bolstering test offerings for PV systems in desert conditions with simulated sandstorms.
Wacker sees first-quarter net profit soar
A one-off windfall from a restructured solar sector deal resulted in stratospheric profits for the polysilicon giant.
China imposes punitive duties on EU polysilicon
Anti-dumping duties of 42% will apply to German, Italian and Spanish companies, including Schmid, Joint Solar Silicon, MEMC Electronic Materials and Siliken Spain.
Statkraft, SunEdison sign 88 MW PPA deal in UK
With the construction of eight new solar power plants, SunEdison has established a major foothold in the growing U.K. solar market with a total of 117 MW already in operation.
Costa Rica defines PV feed-in tariff
After passing new regulations on self-consumption last month, Costa Rican authorities have now defined the rate at which PV users can sell excess electricity. The rates will also apply for independent power plants of up to 20 MW.
Right wing sets sights on US solar
The New York Times says the Koch Brothers and fossil fuel interests are joining forces with state utilities to combat net metering and renewables targets, adding that a state-by-state campaign is being rolled out.
