Belgian rail network operator Infrabel has opened its new Paris to Amsterdam high-speed rail link tunnel, which features 16,000 solar panels on its 3.4km rooftop. The plant will produce electricity for the railway infrastructure on the Antwerp North-South junction, including signaling, lighting and heating railway stations, as well as powering the trains.
In an attempt to close the gap between design and manufacturing new PV inverter technology, SMA Solar Technology is acquiring dtw Sp.z o.o., one of Poland's largest electromagnetic components manufacturers. SMA said that dtw had been a supplier to the inverter firm for 10 years. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, though dtw was said to have annual revenue of €74 million. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and scheduled to be completed in July 2011.
The Tata Steel and Dyesol development partnership has produced the world’s largest dye-sensitized photovoltaic module. Manufactured at Tata Steel’s Shotton site in North Wales, the module is over three metres in length and approximately one square metre in area. This unique achievement represents an important step towards the development of large-scale microgeneration capability within building infrastructure.
A group of solar companies disappointed by the UK’s Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) decision to cut the feed-in tariff for solar PV installations over 50kW has been granted permission to proceed with its legal case. A High Court judge has ruled that the group of solar developers seeking a judicial review against Government can now advance with its case against Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne.
Bosch Solar Energy has begun construction of what will be one of the largest solar projects in the UK. Located in Trefullock, southern England, the 5MW park is expected to be connected to the grid this July.
Playing host to the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry, the Messe München has once again opened its doors to Intersolar Europe. Thousands of visitors and exhibitors are expected to attend this year’s event, which is estimated to see more than 2,200 companies from 47 countries showcase products and services in the areas of photovoltaics, PV production and solar thermal technology.
Showcasing its latest range of Secium and Maple solar technology, JA Solar will be exhibiting at this year’s Intersolar Europe. Developed using the company’s high-efficiency solar cell processing technology, monocrystalline Secium cells can achieve a conversion efficiency of up to 19.2%, while polycrystalline Maple cells can achieve up to 18.2%.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK has partnered with British Gas for a 4.6MW installation in Derbyshire, England. Costing a total of £10 million, the ground-mounted system will feature 17,000 Sharp 245W monocrystalline panels covering an area of 90,000m2 at Toyota’s UK-based vehicle plant.
Despite changes expected to the UK feed-in tariff that would make large-scale projects uneconomical, while retaining incentives for the residential rooftop market, First Solar has gained Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certification for its CdTe thin-film modules.The MCS accreditation applies to First Solar’s Series 3 modules FS-370 to FS-385.
Switzerland looks set to become the latest country to abolish its nuclear energy programme after its Government announced last week that it would be nuclear free by 2034. The news is a boon to solar, which will look to fill the void left by an industry that currently accounts for 39.9% of the land-locked country’s electricity production.
