Europe
GE Energy Wins The New Economy Smart Grid Award 2010
03 February 2011POSTED IN Business News
The New Economy has selected GE as Monitoring and Communications Company of the Year in the field of smart grid technology. The Smart Grid Awards recognize the companies which are set to guide the new energy future.
European Photovoltaic Industry Association Releases Report
02 February 2011POSTED IN Business News
Global investments in solar photovoltaic (PV) technology could double from €35-40 billion today to over €70 billion in 2015, according to a study published today by the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) and Greenpeace International. The estimated investments in the European Union alone would rise from today’s €25-30 billion to over € 35 billion in 2015.
Companies Call for EU Single Energy Market
02 February 2011POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
Two days before the first-ever EU summit on energy, twenty European companies and associations are calling on EU Heads of State to show the courage and vision to create a single market for electricity by 2015.
“Trojan Horse” Defeated in Europe – for the time being
02 February 2011POSTED IN Editors Blogs
Many in the solar industry were concerned about the outcome of the communication on renewable energy in the EU by commissioner Öttinger this Monday. Rumors about an EU initiative to harmonize promotion of renewable energies made many political actors in Brussels nervous, and also in particular in the German parliament, government and lobby rooms.
EU Commission Presents Report, Dispels Fears
01 February 2011POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
EU Energy Commissioner Günther Öttinger yesterday presented the EU communication on the progress of renewable energy in the European Union.
Meyer Burger Receives Order for More Than 45 Million Swiss Francs
01 February 2011POSTED IN Business News
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd. has successfully concluded a contract of more than 45 million Swiss Francs (more than $48 million USD) for wire saws from a new customer in Asia.
SolarEdge Wins a 2010 Red Herring Global 100 Award
01 February 2011POSTED IN Business News
SolarEdge Technologies, an innovative provider of distributed solar power harvesting and photovoltaic (PV) monitoring solutions, today announced that it has received one of the 2010 Red Herring Global 100 Awards. The honor recognizes the leading private companies from North America, Europe and Asia, celebrating their innovations and technologies across their respective industries.
Siemens' Molten Salt Solar Thermal Test Facility in Portugal
01 February 2011POSTED IN Applications News
As part of the High-Performance Solar Thermal Power research project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Siemens together with German partner companies is to build a power plant test facility operating with molten salt as heat transfer medium.
Molybdenite Might Offer Alternative or Complement to Graphene
31 January 2011POSTED IN Research
The mineral molybdenite could allow smaller and more energy-efficient transistors and might complement graphene in applications that require thin transparent semiconductors, according to research from EPFL's Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANE) in Switzerland.
Enecsys Solar Micro-Inverter Gains UL Certification
28 January 2011POSTED IN Applications News
Enecsys Limited, a solar PV micro-inverter company, has announced UL certification for its products.
GE, NRG Energy, ConocoPhillips Join Forces to Support New Energy Technologies
27 January 2011POSTED IN Business News
Three major American energy corporations — GE Capital, NRG Energy, Inc. and ConocoPhillips — are joining forces to create Energy Technology Ventures, an investor and commercial collaboration partner for emerging and innovative energy technology companies.
Green Earth Energy of Belgium to Distribute Ascent Solar Modules
27 January 2011POSTED IN Business News
Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. announced today that Green Earth Energy and Technology of Belgium will distribute Ascent Solar's lightweight, flexible, thin-film, copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) modules for commercial and residential building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) and portable power solutions in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany.
Siemens and Suntech Enter Framework Agreement for PV Panels
27 January 2011POSTED IN Business News
Siemens Energy has signed a framework agreement with Suntech Power the world’s largest manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules. The photovoltaic modules to be supplied under this umbrella agreement are for several projects in Europe.
Envision Solar, Gaia Expand Poverty, Disaster Relief Housing Solutions
26 January 2011POSTED IN Applications News
Envision Solar International, Inc., a sustainable infrastructure designer and developer, announced that it has entered into an alliance with Gaia Global SA, a Finnish/Swiss cleantech and sustainability advisory firm with projects worldwide.
Woven Electrodes for Organic Photovoltaics
26 January 2011POSTED IN Research
New transparent and flexible woven electrodes could offer a lightweight and ultimately inexpensive solution to flexible electrodes for photovoltaic cells, OLEDs and even e-paper.
Zilog’s New Zmotion Smart Motion-Sensing Kits
25 January 2011POSTED IN New Products
Zilog, a subsidiary of IXYS Corporation, today introduced its new solution kits, the NCL-10IL and the NCL-3B, for the Zmotion detection and control family.
Solar Gard Invests $12 Million in Manufacturing in China
24 January 2011POSTED IN Business News
California-based Solar Gard plans to construct a new manufacturing facility in Qingdao, Shandong province, China, to meet the increasing demand for its Quantum- and Solar Gard-branded carbon-negative solar control architectural films and photovoltaic (PV) backsheets.
UK Home Solar Plan SunShare Launches, Includes FiT for Homeowners
20 January 2011POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
SunShare, a new scheme that launched on 17 January 2011, allows UK homeowners to invest in solar panels for their home for only part of the upfront installation costs. Qualifying UK homes that install solar panels with SunShare will benefit from free electricity and will also be able to earn more than £1000 (GBP) a year from the government backed Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme.
German FiT Announced
20 January 2011POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
The German solar association, Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft, confirmed that the solar industry and the German Ministry of the Environment agreed to reduce feed-in-tariff (FiT) premiums scheduled for 2012.
Greek Solar Plant Receives License
20 January 2011POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
Nur-MOH SA today announced that it received a 38 megawatt (MW) Electricity Generation License for a solar power plant on the island of Crete in Greece from the Greek regulatory agency.
