PV fires up, gas plants cool down
In an apparent confirmation that photovoltaics have the potential to supply electricity demand peaks and therefore reduce the cost of peak power, a German utility has shut down a 55 megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant.
Mixed reactions at Asia Solar 2012
Photovoltaic module manufacturers and inverter companies were the dominant force at this year’s Asia Solar.
China: Booming project pipelines and capacity ramp ups
The Asia Solar 2012 and Solarcon events may not have been booming in terms of visitor numbers, but the message was clear: China will be a pivotal player in the photovoltaic industry.
UK: Government refused Supreme Court solar appeal
In what has become an ongoing legal drama, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has been refused a right of appeal against a previous High Court finding that its cuts to the feed in tariffs (FIT) for photovoltaics were unlawful. The result being that installations with a reference date between December 12, 2011 and March will be eligible for the higher tariff rates.
Germany: An awaited ban of photovoltaic systems?
According to media reports, the Managing Director of the arrhenius Institute for Energy and Climate Policy, Helmuth Groscurth, forsees a ban on new photovoltaic systems in Germany.
The green jail Santa Rita unveils its smart grid
California based Santa Rita jail, which houses 4,000 inmates, unveils its US$11.7 million smart grid project. This is the first smart grid of its kind in the U.S.
SolarWorld posts loss
In another sign of the tough times for photovoltaic manufacturers, SolarWorld has posted a loss of 299 million (US$393.65 million) loss for 2011. A ruinous price war within the industry and balance sheet write-downs has been blamed for the losses.
Germany: Federal Network Agency confirms record numbers
The announcement, at the beginning of the 2012, that estimates indicate that three gigawatts of photovoltaics had been installed in December 2011 led to heated discussions. The numbers have now been confirmed by the Federal Network Agency.
First Solar sells 50 MW Nevada power plant
Thin film manufacturer First Solar today announced the sale of the Silver State North photovoltaic project, in Nevada, U.S. The project is worth 50 megawatts and was acquired outright by Canadian energy company Enbridge Inc.
Germany: Positive changes might come
Representatives of the different states in Germany are apparently pushing for changes to the solar subsidy decisions that have been announced thus far. The German Environment Ministry is said to probably present an amended EEG tomorrow.
