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The Solar Power International (SPI) event has opened today, at the Orange County Convention Center in Florida, and initial reports from the show are that traffic is slow. The show, which is essentially spread across one giant exhibition hall, is expected to attract around 20,000 visitors and 1,100 exhibitors.

At the end of Q2 2012, China continued to dominate the worldwide renewable energy market, with Germany and the U.S. nose-to-nose in second place, and India and the U.K. just behind, according to Ernst & Young’s latest quarterly Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices (CAI) report. Activities centered strongly around the smart grid.

SunPower Corp. today announced the launch of the industry’s first combined warranty that covers both power and product for 25 years. The company is also shifting to a linear power warranty that offers the lowest power degradation over the life of the system.

The U.S. solar sector has just finished its second-best quarter in history, having installed 742 MW of photovoltaic power – and its best quarter on record for utility deployments – according to a report released today by Boston-based GTM Research and the Washington, DC-based Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Photovoltaic installations were up 45% over Q1 2012, and up 116% over Q2 2011.

By Q1 2014, the amended WEEE Directive, which obliges producers to take back, for free, and recycle photovoltaic modules, must be transferred into national law in all EU countries. This was underlined to pv magazine by PV Cycle spokeswoman, Alina Lange. However, who the producer is, still has to be defined.

Following 2 years of almost no solar activity, predictions are that between 100 and 120 MW of photovoltaics will be installed in 2012 in the Czech Republic. Rooftop systems are said to be leading this growth.

On the back of its recently established subsidiary, Sparx Green Energy & Technology Co. Ltd (SGET), Japan-based Spark Group Co. Ltd has announced it will install an 8 MW photovoltaic plant in Ashikitamachi Town, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Cumulative Indian solar capacity now stands at around 1,040 MW, of which 830 MW were installed this year. Despite the crossing of this significant milestone, there are still many challenges facing the Indian solar industry, including missed deadlines and high inflation.

Germany-based Manz AG has announced its CIGS thin film photovoltaic panels have reached an efficiency of 14.6% in production conditions. The company adds that it will able to supply power costing as little as €0.04/kWh in the future.

Following the launch of EU and U.S. trade investigations into photovoltaic exports from China, Avaaz is calling for half a million people to back its submission to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and EU Trade Commissioner for “talks not tariffs”.