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Details have emerged today that BP Solar will withdraw from the consortium that was successful in bidding to install the Moree Solar Farm, under a Government solar program. The photovoltaic power project is partly Government-funded and is be 150 megawatt (MW) in capacity.

Various media sources have reported that Korean electronics giants, Samsung and Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) are looking to significantly scale-back their solar businesses. However, according to the companies, the rumors are false.

As was reported yesterday, Germany’s politicians have made some serious changes to the country’s pioneering feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme. Specifically, a one-off cut will be applied in March, monthly tariff reductions will begin in May, the maximum size of photovoltaic plants that can receive a tariff has been capped, and just 85 to 90 percent of solar energy produced will receive support.

New research has found that although balance of systems (BoS) revenues are forecast to fall in 2012 due to price erosion, they will increase over the next four years to hit US$24 billion in 2016. Meanwhile, tracking systems are expected to represent the biggest growth segment.

After the recent announcement of the radical changes to the feed-in tariffs (FITs) in Germany, solar stocks are showing a stark downward trend.

Trina Solar Limited experienced a rough 2011, with gross profits and operating income particularly hard hit. Despite this, module shipments were on the up and sales outside of Europe exceeded 50 percent for the first time. Looking to 2012, the company says it will implement capacity ramp ups.

Both the management board and the supervisory board of Germany-based Sunways AG have deemed the offered price of €1.90 per share by LDK Solar as “adequate”.

Amongst the doom and gloom surrounding the accelerated and sudden cuts to the German photovoltaic feed-in tariffs (FIT), a glimmer of hope has emerged from an unexpected place. On Wednesday, the U.K. achieved one gigawatt (GW) of installed capacity, illustrating just how much faster than expected the British public and businesses have embraced solar.

Frost & Sullivan’s energy group has forecast that overall electricity generation in Germany will decrease from 625 terrawatt-hours (TWh) in 2010 to 590 TWh in 2020. This change is attributed to energy efficiency measures and increased imports that will replace the supply lost from nuclear power sources.

Pike Research has announced that investments in community and residential energy storage (CRES) systems will increase to more than US$4 billion in the next decade.