Markets

A new study has stated that Europe is leading the way in terms of photovoltaics (PV) installations. The JRC’s Institute for Energy (IE), which published its ninth Annual Photovoltaics Status Report today, has said that out of the estimated 7.4 gigawatts (GW) of newly installed PV modules worldwide last year, 5.8 GW was located in Europe.

Bringing a boost to the U.S. solar industry, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell has announced that USD$20.5 million in state and federal investments will be injected into 40 clean energy projects. It is hoped that up to 1,400 jobs in the country’s solar sector will be created.

The Saxonian company is already in talks with potential investors. For the time being, production at the Signet Solar facility keeps running. Dismissals are not in the plans at the moment.

Sanyo Component Europe has announced that it is the first manufacturer to sign a binding participation agreement with PV CYCLE, an organization aimed to establish a structure for recycling of PV modules.

Conergy has concluded the largest framework agreement in Greek solar energy history with investment from a major Greek investor. The plans are set to take off from 2011 onwards.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden unveiled a new report last week on how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is investing USD$100 billion in scientific research and advances in technology. The report, ‘The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation’, highlights that this is to jumpstart the renewable energy sector.

According to U.K. energy regulator, Ofgem, 2,257 British homes in August have been fitted with solar panels. This is a jump from 1,700 in July and 1,400 in June, reports BBC News.

Photovoltaics (PV) project developers must create their own formulas for tackling a fragmented market – and they have to do it while dealing with the fast-paced changes in technologies and polices. That was the sentiment expressed by a panel discussion held in the U.S. last week, which was organized, in part, by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Trina Solar.

Germany-based juwi Solar has said it will create 500 new jobs until 2012. Almost half of them will be located in Germany, which is currently the company’s “most important” market.

Greece’s Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change has signed two new Ministerial Decisions, which have helped to “satisfy some of the photovoltaics (PV) sector’s demands regarding the uplift of certain legal-administrative barriers”, according to PV Legal.