SolarWorld turns its back on Asia; US becomes key PV focus
In a move away from the Asian regions, SolarWorld has sold its stake in a South Korean solar panel production facility, stating that it prefers to focus on Western photovoltaic markets.
DOE offers three further PV conditional loan guarantees
The U.S. department of Energy (DOE) has awarded three more conditional loan guarantees to photovoltaic projects, worth a total of USD$4.5 billion. Around 1,400 jobs and 1.3 gigawatts of photovoltaics are expected to be created.
Suntech terminates wafer agreement and thin film venture
Suntech has terminated a solar wafer supply agreement with MEMC. It will also discontinue investment in thin film subsidiary CSG Solar AG. Overall, the company will incur expenses of around USD$236 million.
Germany: Construction on 70 MW PV project begins
GP Joule has begun construction on a 70 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic park in Germany. When complete, it is expected to be the countrys largest.
Boralex: First PV park and Frances first mixed renewable energy site completed
Boralex Inc. has inaugurated a 4.5 megawatt (MW) photovoltaics park in France. It is said to be both the companys first solar project, and Frances first mixed renewable energy site.
JA Solar acquires solar wafer manufacturer
JA Solar will boost its internal wafer capacity following the acquisition of Silver Age Holdings Limited for USD$180 million.
Italy: TerniEnergia installs 20 MWp of PV in Q2; 31 MW in pipeline
TerniEnergia installed 12 industrial-sized photovoltaic plants in Italy in the second quarter of 2011. It has now started on another eight.
Californian college US first to go "grid positive"
Californias Butte College has announced it is the first college in the U.S. to go “grid positive”. Generating over 100 percent of its electricity from solar power, the educational institution says it will feed power back to the grid.
UK: Coventry is the first cathedral to sign up to solar
A 50 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic array is to be installed on the roof of Coventry Cathedral. It is the first time a cathedral in the U.K. will utilize solar power in this way.
UK solar industry rallies to seek way round FIT cuts
A call to arms by the UK solar industry in the face of the governments decision to cut feed-in-tariff (FIT) rates for installations larger than 50 kilowatts (kW) gathered momentum yesterday as politicians, solar businesses, and a diverse mix of supporters and would-be users of photovoltaic technology met in London.
