Markets

According to IHS iSuppli, the U.S. state of California is to continue its solar lead in the country in terms of installed capacity, with predictions that 7.5 gigawatts (GW) will be added there between 2010 and 2015.

Monday’s announcement that China is to introduce a national photovoltaic feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme was received well by many in the industry. However, analyst opinion is that the Chinese tier-one manufacturers stand to gain the most.

First Solar has announced its quarter two (Q2) 2011 results, revealing sales of US$533 million, a decline of $34,5 million, or six percent, from quarter one (Q1) 2011. Sales were also down on six-month figures from 2010, by almost $56 million. Gross profits for the quarter also fell by $89,396 million from 2010. Profit decline from the first six-months of this year was $111,777.

Californian utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has announced that it has entered into a deal with Sempra Generation for a 150 megawatt (MW) expansion of the vast Copper Mountain photovoltaic complex in the state of Nevada. The project will utilize First Solar ground mounted thin-film modules.

Photovoltaic manufacturing equipment and materials supplier GT Solar has reported strong revenue, gross margin and earnings per share growth, in its first quarter (Q1) report for the fiscal year 2012. The company has also reiterated its fiscal 2012 guidance in the range of $1 billion to $1.1 billion and raised its gross margin guidance by one percentage point to 43 percent to 45 percent.

The United Kingdom’s (U.K.) largest water and sewerage company, Thames Water, has signed a deal to become the biggest on-site photovoltaic producer and industrial user, in a deal with Ennoviga Solar. The deal will see photovoltaic arrays installed and expanded on a number of Thames Water sites.

The suspension of the feed-in tariff in yet another state of Australia has been met with anger and dismay by much of the solar community in the country.

To qualify for 10 percent higher feed-in tariff (FIT) rates in Italy, Conergy will now badge its modules with “Made in EU” and TüV logos.

In what appears to be one of the photovoltaic industry’s particularly grubby battles, the Non Toxic Solar Alliance’s (NTSA) backers have received a stern reprimand from a public relations regulatory body, the German Council for Public Relations (DRPR).

K Road Power has announced that it will partner with Barclays Natural Resource Investments (BNRI) on the development of its utility scale solar power portfolio. K Road is currently developing 11 plants worth nearly 2.3 gigawatts (GW).