The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will gain a new member in the form of Australia, increasing the body's influence as the Rudd Government plans to invest approximately AS$4.5 billion on renewable and clean energy initiatives. A key boost to solar has also been planned, which will see AS$1.6 billion spent on projects to generate 1GW and above of energy starting in 2010. The Rudd Government said it was committed to ensuring that 20% of Australia's electricity...
Spire Corp. saw its first-quarter revenue impacted by two major contracts not receiving customer acceptance as expected. The turnkey PV manufacturing line specialist posted revenue of US$12.3 million, a 15% decrease from US$14.5 million for the same quarter of 2008.
Germany based flat roof PV systems integrator SUNOVA AG, has started field tests of several different thin film module technologies with conventional multi-crystalline silicon modules to better evaluate the strength and weaknesses for future installations in the country.
SolarWorld AG has celebrated the topping-out of its new crystalline solar cell manufacturing plant in Freiberg, Germany. The €350 million investment will enable SolarWorld to add approximately 500MW per annum of solar cell capacity by the end of 2010, resulting in 1GW of total capacity at its multiple facilities in Freiberg.
SMA Solar Technology AG has reported a 25% decline in first quarter sales compared to the same period in 2008. The solar inverter leader said that it didn’t rule out a decline in global demand for PV system in 2009 but expects an increase in sales of at least 65% to about €145 to€165 million in the second quarter. Sales in the first quarter totalled €86.7 million compared to €115.1 million in 2008.
Although there is an expected decline in the demand for advanced chemicals and materials used in PV solar cells and modules, Linx-AEI Consulting said in a new report that the market would return to growth in 2010 and reach a value of approximately $15 billion by 2015. PV chemicals and materials used for all types of technology will decline to US$2.3 billion in 2009, Linx-AEI Consulting said.
There would seem to be signs that project finance for large-scale photovoltaic energy plants is reappearing, according to tentative comments from Phoenix Solar AG. The systems integrator noted in its first quarter financial statement that the backlog in the financing of large photovoltaic power plants appeared to be ‘easing slowly.’
Weaker demand in the first quarter of 2009, coupled to over-supply of modules in key markets has forced CENTROSOLAR Group AG to write-off its remaining 2008 PV module and materials inventory. CENTROSOLAR's gross profit was pushed down by one-off factors from €14.6 million in the previous year to €6.7 million.
Applied Materials Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mike Splinter, expects capital spending in the photovoltaics industry to decline by approximately 50% in 2009 as access to capital, over-capacity and weaker demand due to the global economic recession is limiting PV manufacturers' expansion plans this year.
A new European record has been claimed by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, for copper-indium-gallium-diselenide thin film solar cell, which has produced under pilot production conditions. ZSW said that a 19.6% conversion efficiency had been recorded using an inline multistage process in its automated coating plant. The results have been certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems.
