SolarWorld CEO buys castle
Frank Asbeck would often like to be referred to as the sun king in the solar industry. While his photovoltaic group grapples with its debt issues, the CEO has bought a castle in Germany from entertainer Thomas Gottschalk.
France reports 66.7% increase in solar power generation
According to the 2012 French Electricity Report published last week by France’s transmission system operator Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE), photovoltaic systems generated 4 TWh lat year. This figure corresponds to a 66.7% increase in solar power output compared to 2011.
New PV panel plant commissioned in Ethiopia
A new photovoltaic panel manufacturing plant with annual capacity of 20 MW has been completed in Ethiopia.
Germany: Altmaier presents concept for short-term EEG changes
Germany’s Federal Environment Minister has presented his concept for “electricity price protection”. Altmaiers aim is to limit the energy transition cost and, thus, set the stage for photovoltaic, wind and biomass cuts. The amendments are expected to be passed before the summer break.
US makes $12m available for solar cell research
As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s ongoing attempts to reach the theoretical maximum efficiency of solar cells, the department’s SunShot initiative is making available another US$12 million of funding.
Approval for 2 PV plants in Ecuador
Atlantic Wind & Solar and Atlantic Energy Ecuador have received approval from the National Electricity Council of Ecuador (CONELEC) for the installation of two photovoltaic plants worth 58.43 MW.
India: Solar pros and cons from austerity drive
With an austerity regime in full swing in India, attempts to trim the national deficit which looks set to fall short by some margin are set to be a double edged sword for solar.
Latin America: A PV opportunity in 2013
With 8.4 GW of new solar projects announced in Latin America and the Caribbean over the past 12 months, market research provider GTM Research is predicting that 450 MW of new grid connected capacity will come online this year.
Crowdfunded project launched in Galápagos
A public funding campaign has been launched for a 300 kW photovoltaic power plant on the San Cristóbal Island in the iconic Galápagos archipelago.
SolarWorld seeks to refinance debt mountain
SolarWorld AG, Germany’s leading solar panel producer and the manufacturer most active in petitioning the EU and U.S. authorities to bring anti-dumping duties against Chinese imports, is seeking to restructure its debt pile.
