Solar helps drive NextEra profits
Solar played its part in U.S. energy company NextEra’s profits from April to June but wind is still the company’s favored renewable and the year on year six-month figures were less encouraging.
Silence greeted adoption of EU-China price commitments
The European solar trade bodies so vociferous in their criticism of the EU-China trade deal proposals earlier this week have had nothing to say after the announcement that EU heads of government adopted the agreement.
CentroSolar reports more grim figures
Munich solar manufacturer CentroSolar has little to cheer from its second quarter figures but the auditing of its 2012 accounts has cleared the way for September’s critical debt to equity swap.
Sharp and Panasonic ride the solar wave
Japanese giants see their balance sheets boosted by the domestic solar boom. In response, Sharp announces plan to widen its solar product range and expand its development business.
US: SolarWorld extends financing program
SolarWorld has expanded its solar financing program to six additional U.S. states after being solely available in California. The plan is dedicated exclusively to U.S.-made solar products.
SunPower big in Japan, boosts Q2 profits
The U.S.’ second biggest solar manufacturer returned to profitability in the second quarter. Operating at full capacity, the company is weighing a fab expansion to meet growing global demand, particularly from Japan.
Solar advocates attack Xcel plan to define net metering costs
Clean energy supporters are assailing a plan by utility group Xcel Energy to better define the value of net metering in Colorado, which the company says would make the incentive “clear and transparent.”
Plasmonic black metals in PV production
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in the U.S. have made breakthroughs experimenting with black metals for the development of more efficient solar cells.
DuPont, GD Solar join forces to advance PV technology
The companies say they are collaborating in China “to improve the power output, quality and reliability of solar energy systems to meet the world’s growing energy needs.”
Global market for residential PV storage expected to boom
Global installations of residential PV storage systems will grow to 2.5 GW by 2017, according to a new report by research group IHS, which finds that Germany’s energy storage subsidy has kickstarted the surge.
