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Following the failure of an appeal to the World Trade Organization (WTO) decision against the domestic content requirement of its renewable energy FIT scheme, the Ontario Energy Department has announced plans to remove the offending provision.

Frank Asbeck, CEO and founder of SolarWorld AG, has proposed to invest a double-digit-million euro amount to help his debt-ridden company survive its difficult financial situation, according to German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Google director Rick Needham has revealed the search engine giant has invested ZAR103 million (US$10 million) in the Jasper Power Project.

From a cost perspective it does not really matter whether wind and photovoltaic systems are probably better erected where it is particularly inexpensive to generate electricity, or instead where the electricity is actually consumed. The overall costs for the change in energy policy in Germany can be reduced in particular through less development of offshore wind power.

Momentum for municipal/mid-size solar installations is growing in the United States, says NPD Solarbuzz. The research firm’s analysts announced on Wednesday that solar projects in the range from 100 kW to 2 MW account for over 60% of the current U.S. project pipelines.

Hit by unexpected liabilities related to its former management, including a $96 million lawsuit by U.S. polysilicon producer Hemlock, government demands to return subsidies and a refusal by banks to refinance its growing debt, Spanish PV giant Isofotón has been forced to file for restructuring proceedings.

Photovoltaic module manufacturer Trina Solar Limited has announced their first quarter results for 2013. Module shipments saw a sequential decrease and Europe continued to bring the largest revenue slice for Trina Solar. Domestic sales saw a fall.

Yingli Green Energy’s net loss more than doubled in the first quarter of the year to CNY 611.8 million ($98.5 million, €75.6 million) as PV module shipments declined, resulting in a 15% drop in revenue to CNY 2.68 billion ($431.4 million). The group also announced a new finance chief as well as major deal in South Africa for 96 MW of PV modules for a new solar plant.

While the politics surrounding the EU tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic modules continues to play out, possible effects of the tariffs are beginning to emerge. Manufacturers in Taiwan look set to benefit, but whether European cell and wafer capacity is ready or adequate to pick up the rest of the slack is yet to be seen.

Information and analytics provider IHS Inc. has released a new report that shows a total installed PV capacity of 1.5 GW in Japan in the first quarter of 2013. The strong growth is expected to carry on throughout 2013.