EU fossil fuel reserves dwindling, according to report
Disputed U.K. university report claims to illustrate just how dependent on Russia EU member states are. Anglia Ruskin research says France has less than a year’s domestic reserves of oil, coal and gas left.
Shoals Technologies Group awarded 17.5 MW racking contract at Fort Huachuca army base
The group will partner with American Helios Constructors to complete the project, which is part of the largest army base in the country.
Germany leads in electric vehicle production but says 'Nein danke' to driving them
German drivers appear to prefer the roar of combustible engines than the quiet humming of electric cars despite the country’s leading position as a major producer of e-vehicles.
Sunways prepares for liquidation
Proceedings have started to de-list the company’s stock from its main Frankfurt exchange. The company also announced its chairman of the management board has resigned.
AT&T expands solar mobile charging initiative in New York City
The telco group’s PV-powered Street Charge offers free device charging at more than 20 parks and outdoor locations through September.
US congressman says natural gas is the solution to EU-Russia energy crisis
Representative Fred Upton says the U.S. must export more liquified natural gas to help countries avoid an over-dependence on Russian gas. Upton described the U.S. as ‘the world’s emerging energy superpower.’
China installs just 188 MW of distributed PV power in first quarter
China has set ambitious goals for the further deployment of PV, but lags behind in installed distributed power. Only 188 MW of distributed PV were installed in first quarter 2014.
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The hare-and-tortoise nature of the scramble to be the world’s leading solar EPC provider will enter the home straight this year as Chinese power equipment manufacturer TBEA SunOasis roars past current number one First Solar, according to IHS Global Insight.
In an interview for the forthcoming edition of pv magazine, Josefin Berg, senior analyst for solar demand at IHS, said the booming nature of its domestic market, combined with its global reach as an equipment manufacturer, would see SunOasis take number one spot, with 1.5 GW installed this year.
SunOasis has come up on the rails, performing engineering, procurement and construction on 1 GW of installations last year, up from just 250 MW in 2012 as the manufacturer climed from ninth to second in the global EPC rankings.
For now, U.S. EPC provider First Solar is still top dog, with 1.1 GW of installations last year, up from 516 MW in 2012. But last year’s figure represented 93% of non-residential installations in the U.S. and Canada, confirming First Solar’s impressive stranglehold on the North American market.
Although the company claims 1 GW pipelines in each of Latin America and the Middle East, Berg told pv magazine it is still focusing heavily on its domestic market, for which it is heavily dependent upon tax credits.
IHS predicts First Solar will provide EPC on 1.3 GW this year, 200 MW shy of the total predicted for SunOasis, whose impressive 2013 installation figure amounted to only 10% of China’s non-residential market.
With IHS predicting the Chinese market will expand by 31% this year, and with SunOasis ready to leverage its global equipment manufacturing contacts to open up new solar markets, the Chinese behemoth could take some shifting off the number one spot for the forseeable future.
Ingeteam inverters installed in Galapagos
Three of the Spanish company’s inverters have been installed in a PV-diesel hybrid system on the island of Baltra. The company says the new system has shaved 12% off diesel costs at the island’s airport.
Indian election could see clean energy revolution
Wind power bosses expect great things if Narendra Modi becomes prime minister. As chief minister of Gujarat, Modi pioneered the introduction of the country’s first incentives for large-scale renewables.
