Markets

Overall, clean energy investments are said to be slipping and it is predicted that 2012 will see an annual drop in funds. On a positive note, however, solar energy is reaping the lion’s share of investment, compared to wind, hydro, biomass and waste, and energy-smart technologies.

The European Commission has officially approved Hanwha Group’s acquisition of Germany-based Q.Cells SE.

Poland’s Ministry of Economy has published a third draft of its Renewable Energy Sources (RES) Act, which is scheduled to come into play on January 1, 2013. Under the changes introduced, photovoltaics will see reduced remuneration for larger installations. Meanwhile, a cap has been placed on support for systems over 10 MW.

In a positive announcement, the French government has said a feed-in tariff (FIT) bonus of 10% will apply to photovoltaic rooftop systems, which have been manufactured in Europe. Furthermore, tariffs for eligible systems will be boosted by 5%.

On the back of increased trade tensions, including the AD and CVD debates currently raging in the U.S. and Europe, a number of leading industry players have joined forces to call for the establishment of free trade regulations for the cleantech industry.

The latest figures from IMS Research indicate that China will see newly installed photovoltaic capacity reach 5 GW by the end of 2012. While the market has seen a slow start, it predicts an enormous end of year surge.

As part of its ongoing reorganization process, centrotherm photovoltaics AG has announced a number of management and supervisory board changes. Of particular note, Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO), Jan von Schuckmann will become the new CEO and CTO, Peter Fath will step down from the management board.

By 2030, photovoltaics will be a mainstay of the European electricity market. Against a backdrop of falling prices, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) anticipates a photovoltaics market share of 15 to 25%. In its latest report, “Connecting the Sun”, EPIA has outlined several scenarios to demonstrate how the European power supply system can be adapted to the rapidly increasing supply of solar. pv magazine spoke with Secretary General, Reinhold Buttgereit about the new findings.

A 10 MW photovoltaic power plant has begun feeding electricity into the grid, near the city of Geraldton in Western Australia (WA). While not on the scale of solar parks under construction in the U.S. or already in place in Europe, the power plant is the first of its kind to be completed in Australia.

Aleo solar AG has announced it will not extend its temporary worker contracts in a bid to reduce inventory. It is expected that production will again be ramped up early next year.