Markets & Policy

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).

Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer LDK Solar has announced today that it will supply Advanced Solar Products, New Jersey, with 58,803 modules for a privately owned, net metered solar project. The project worth 14.1 megawatts (MW) has been initiated by the McGraw-Hill Companies in East Windsor, New Jersey.

In a move that signals its intention to move into the U.S. market, S-Energy has signed an agreement with project developer Cenergy Power to develop a nine megawatt (MW) photovoltaic installation.

German photovoltaic and renewable energy product wholesaler, AS Solar, is set to unveil a new logo at the EU PVSEC conference and trade-show in Hamburg, September 5 – 9. It will compliment the company’s new headquarters that are located in a century-old factory building outside of Hannover, which they renovated to become an “energy plus” building.

Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer Trina Solar has revised down its shipment and gross margin guidance for quarter two (Q2) 2011, ahead of posting Q2 results. Falling demand in Italy is blamed for the reductions.