Australia's Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet has revealed that the country's subsidies for households that install solar panels will end a year earlier than planned. The Solar Credits Scheme, originally implemented in 2008, which gives households up to five times more renewable energy credits for the electricity generated by their solar systems, will now end in mid-2014, with the credit 'multiplier' reduced every year until that date.
Under a 6MW distribution agreement, Focused Energy is to offer Upsolar's line of modules to its North American customers throughout 2011, with an option to extend the contract by an additional 2MW. Focused Energy began shipping Upsolar's modules in June 2010 on a trial basis and has now opted to expand the distribution agreement into 2011.
Platinum Solyndra solution provider Nazca has completed a 1.2MW solar installation on a large warehouse roof near Toulouse, France. The warehouse was built by the GSE group, of which Nazca is a subsidiary, and subsequently sold to the 'Port de Barcelona,' one of the main commercial transport and distribution arteries in the Mediterranean area. The system, which consists of more than 7,080 Solyndra CIGS panels that will generate approximately 1,360MWh a year, is the largest Solyndra system in France and one of the largest worldwide.
EDF Energies Nouvelles has commissioned two solar photovoltaic power plants in Italy with a combined capacity of 26.1MWp. The first plant, located in Loreo, northern Italy will be a 12.6MWp ground-based project. The second, 13.5MWp facility is to be constructed in Priolo, in the south of the country. Both plants will utilize thin-film panels supplied by First Solar.
For the past four months universities all over the world have been submitting proposals for the Solar Decathlon Europe (SDE) 2012 competition in Madrid, Spain. The inscription period has now closed with 33 teams out of 47 going through to the final selection stage.
Spain has made a decision to freeze the beginning of the country's €13.5 billion program to sell state-guaranteed power bonds until government debt-market volatility abates. Bank workers, who had begun calculating investor interest in the first tranche of bonds, will now have to wait until the yield stabilises on the country's debt.
Fidelis Energy has manufactured and shipped more than 23MW of solar modules to its first customer, TinSol Energy, located in South Africa. The company began module production at its manufacturing facility in China earlier this year, accelerating the manufacturing process and reaching the anticipated shipping date ahead of schedule.
Israel's National Infrastructures Minister Uzi Landau has signed the first power purchase agreement (PPA) for renewable energy in the country's history, with Ketura Sun, the joint venture between Arava Solar Power Company (APC) and Kibbutz Ketura, which is developing a 4.9MW plant in the southern Arava near Eilat. The agreement, which will stretch over 20 years, is said to be worth NIS 250 million.
SunPower sees substantial growth in store in fiscal year 2011, with annual revenues expected to range between $2.65 billion and $2.85 billion as well as PV cell production of 900-945MW at its three fabrication facilities. The company’s already issued its 2010 guidance, which forecasts revenues of $2.15 billion-$2.25 billion and cell production of 570-580MW. The company also said it has signed a deal to sell the Solare Roma PV power plant in Italy.
S.A.G. Solarstrom has begun the construction of a 2.13MWp photovoltaic installation on the site of a former excavated soil in the town of Spaichingen, Germany. The company signed a contract with the town whereby S.A.G will work as system contractor while the town will lease the site to the future installation investor. Several purchase inquiries have already been received for the project.
