Khosla Ventures has formed a partnership with Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's company, Tony Blair Associates. The partnership is aimed at helping Khosla's clean technology companies maximize effectiveness in achieving environmental goals. As part of the relationship, Blair joined Vinod Khosla on May 23 to tour the Calera green cement demonstration plant in Moss Landing, Calif.
Shurjo Energy, a subsidiary of PAE Limited, was awarded the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification. The India-based company’s complete line of solar modules, which use Global Solar CIGS technology, were issued the certification by EuroTest Laboratori S.r.1.
In an effort to create a more level playing field for the cost of PV electricity, Abound Solar has partnered with market leaders to create the Abound Alliance. The goal for the program is to allow each company to coordinate their product development, marketing and sales efforts, while creating making their products improve in performance, cost reductions, and/or increased system reliability.
Thin-film PV developer AQT has entered into partnerships with module manufacturer Solar Enertech and systems installer/developer HelioPower to drive the delivery and deployment of AQT’s CIGS solar cells into commercial projects later this year.
A key attraction of organic and dye-sensitized photovoltaics (OPV and DSC) is the flexibility and transparency of the technology; however, a new report from NanoMarkets sees the need for more flexibility should these technologies survive and prosper in niche markets. According to the market research firm, these technologies may offer low-cost high volume roll-to-roll production but the markets they could serve are little more than low-volume niche sectors.
Vinci Energia is in the process of commissioning the Luter power plant, one of the first pre-commercial CSP Stirling projects from a concentrating system formed by a patented optical system integrated in Titan Tracker Precisión.
A group of experts from the private and public wind, solar, and power sectors recently completed and published, with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, "The Western Wind and Solar Integration Study." The report looks at benefits and challenges that come when incorporating wind and solar energy capacity into the grid to produce 35% of its electricity needs by 2017. The study is a starting point for utilities in the Western region to plan the proper increase in renewable energy production when incorporating wind and solar energy plants onto the grid.
With the significant cuts in Germany’s solar feed-in tariffs due July 1, the focus of attention has shifted toward understanding and forecasting what happens next. German trade associations and respected executives and institutions have all warned about the negative impact these changes will have on the German solar industry, but there is little overall consensus in the industry as to what the real impacts will be. However, in a new bottom-up analysis, market research firm iSuppli, believes it has a firm grasp on what will happen next--and it’s certainly a bittersweet pill to swallow.
Through its subsidiary, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy, Trina Solar has announced that it has entered into a strategic partnership with TUV Rheinland Group, Underwriter’s Laboratories, and China General Certification Centre. The new agreement is a move for the company to introduce its newest certified product lines to its customers in the quickest manner possible.
Applied Materials reported much improved overall financial results for its second quarter ended May 2, but a weak showing by the company’s energy and environmental solutions group detracted from an otherwise solid performance. Led by strong silicon systems and display group revenues, the company reported overall net sales of $2.3 billion and net income of $264 million, with new orders of $1.26 billion—all well above the previous quarter’s numbers. Despite record new bookings for crystalline-silicon PV equipment, the company's EES group took heavy losses, and the company will finalize plans for restructuring of its SunFab thin-film PV unit next month.
