Germany installs 650 MW of PV at start of 2012
650 megawatts (MW) worth of photovoltaics were installed in Germany in January and February, according to preliminary figures from the countrys Federal Network Agency.
SiC Processing closes Norwegian slurry recycling plant
SiC Processing has announced the closure of its slurry recycling plant in Herøya, Norway, following the permanent closure of RECs wafer facilities. Around 100 employees will be affected.
Wacker opens Nünchritz polysilicon production facilities
Wacker Chemi AG has officially opened its “hyperpure” polysilicon facilities in Nünchritz, Germany. The 900 million investment is said to have created over 500 new jobs.
Solar investors react badly to Chinese manufacturing numbers
After a positive start to 2012, solar stocks have given back most of their gains as bad figures coming out of China lead to some significant losses.
Solaria to develop 11 MW of PV in Ecuador
Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente S.A. has announced it will develop a six megawatt (MW) ground-mounted photovoltaic project in Ecuador. Expected to be executed over two stages, it is scheduled for completion in 2013. A further five MW rooftop project is in the pipeline.
Heliatek achieves 10.7 percent OPV efficiency; to begin module production this year
Heliatek GmbH has achieved what it says is a world record efficiency of 10.7 percent on a 1.1 cm squared organic photovoltaic (OPV) cell. The results have been measured by Germany-based testing facility, SGS. Heliatek will begin production of its modules this year.
China Sunergy suffers significant losses
Solar cell and module manufacturer, China Sunergy, posted significant losses in 2011. Despite this, the Chinese company plans to ramp cell capacity up to one gigawatt (GW).
100 MW milestone reached on Agua Caliente Solar Project
The first 100 megawatts (MW) of the 290 MW Agua Caliente Solar Project have been completed and grid connected. It is said to be North Americas largest operating photovoltaic plant.
Bosch affected by PV downturn
At its annual press conference, Bosch says despite the difficult market conditions, sales and profitability for the company have increased: overall, its Industrial Technology business showed the strongest growth. However, due to declining photovoltaics costs, its solar business was significantly affected, leading the company to record a negative EBIT.
IEA: PV concentrated on too few markets; clean energy not being deployed quickly enough
In a new report presented to Ministers at the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), the International Energy Agency (IEA) has said photovoltaics must embrace market diversification if it is to maintain its growth trajectory. Overall, it believes clean energy will deliver substantial savings to countries across the globe, however, these savings are currently not on track to be realized by 2050.
