Financial Information
Global Renewables Industry ‘at Tipping Point’
30 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
The renewable energy industry is at a tipping point as the developed markets start to close the door on generous subsidy programs and emerging markets develop cost strategies to compete with fossil fuels, according to Ernst & Young’s latest quarterly global renewable energy country attractiveness indices report released today.
Centrotherm Photovoltaics Moves to the General Standard
30 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
Centrotherm Photovoltaics shares will be traded effective 1 March 2013 in the General Standard segment of the regulated market on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the company announced today.
Listing in the Prime Standard segment ends 28 February 2013.
Enel Green Power Finances Italian Solar Projects
28 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Enel Green Power (EGP) have signed a EUR 160 million loan for financing the four-year plan of the Enel Group company concerned with renewable and alternative energy sources.
SolarCity Files IPO
28 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
SolarCity hopes to raise as much as $151 million in an initial public offering filed with the US Securities Exchange Commission on 27 November.
According to the regulatory filing, the company says it plans to sell about 10.1 million shares priced between $13 and $15 per share.
$1M US Grant Fuels CPV Technology
27 November 2012POSTED IN Applications News
REhnu has received a $1 million award from the US Department of Energy to advance its high-concentration photovoltaics (CPV) technology, developed at the University of Arizona (UA).
Australia Leads Solar PV Installation, Report Says
26 November 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Australia installed more solar panels last year than any other country but is still under-utilising its renewable energy potential, according to a report from Australia’s Climate Commission.
In Australia, investment in clean energy totaled $4.9 billion in 2011, mostly in solar projects. In Queensland, $2.7 billion was invested in renewable energy between 2009 and 2011, mostly for small-scale solar installations.
LDK Solar Ends Solar Wafer Supply Deal
14 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
LDK Solar is ending a long-term solar wafer supply deal with an unnamed Europe-based customer of its photovoltaic products.
Lightway to Supply 22MW PV Modules to Suntuity Projects
12 November 2012POSTED IN Business News
Lightway Solar America and Suntuity have entered in an agreement for Lightway to supply 22MW of solar panels for 31 of Suntuity’s US solar projects located throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California. The projects range in size, including a 12MW grid supply project.
Linuo Power Announced Solarsafe Warranty
31 October 2012POSTED IN New Products
Linuo Power today announced the Solarsafe warranty for solar modules supplied by AON-COFCO.
After signing the insurance agreement, Linuo Power can now supply customers with a 25-year irrevocable warranty and promise of transferable beneficiary. This acts as stronger protecting umbrella based on the original 25 year linear performance warranty, the company says.
PV Module Market Recovery Expected in ‘Second Half of 2013’
30 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Overcapacity, a decline in pricing as well as slowing growth in key worldwide markets will serve to keep the global photovoltaic market for solar modules depressed for the rest of the year, with recovery not expected until well in the second half of 2013, according to an IHS iSuppli PV Integrated market tracker report from information and analytics provider IHS.
Global revenue for the solar module industry comprising both crystalline and thin-film modules fell for the first time this year during the third quarter to US $6.63 billion, down 7% from $7.14 billion in the second quarter. Prior to the decline, revenue had been up 2% in the second quarter from $7.03 billion in the first quarter.
BrightSource Raises $80 Million of Additional Equity Financing
25 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Concentrating solar thermal company BrightSource Energy today announced it has raised more than $80 million in additional equity financing.
This brings BrightSource’s total equity financing to more than $615 million and positions the company for significant international growth.
US Court Approves Solyndra Bankruptcy Exit Plan
24 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Solyndra, which received a $535 million loan guarantee before it went bankrupt in 2011, has won approval from a US judge to exit bankruptcy protection despite objections from the US government.
The failed solar company will now be liquidated to pay off creditors.
Oerlikon Receives Regulatory Approval to Divest Solar Segment
23 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has given merger control approval for the sale of Oerlikon’s Solar Segment to Tokyo Electron (TEL).
Oerlikon and TEL signed the contract to divest the Solar Segment on 2 March.
IMS Research: Challenges ahead for inverter suppliers in 2013
23 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
IMS Research forecasts 2013 to be another challenging year for photovoltaic inverter manufacturers, with flat revenue growth globally and a major shift away from traditional markets leading to a reshaping of the supplier base.
Belectric Acquires Konarka Technologies
22 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
German solar company Belectric today announced it has reached an agreement to buy Konarka Technologies’ German subsidiary.
The company, which manufactured Power Plastic (pictured), a thin, film-like organic photovoltaic material, applied for insolvency shortly after its parent company around the mid-point of the year and opened negotiations with several investors.
SMA Cuts Jobs, Expects Drop in Sales
22 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
SMA Solar Technology has said it will cut 450 jobs and expects a “severe” decline in sales in 2013 because of subsidy cuts in the European PV market.
The company says it expects sales to drop to between .9 million 1.3 billion euros in 2013, compared to 1.3 to 1.5 billion euros in 2012.
Siemens to Sell Solar Business
22 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Siemens plans to sell its solar business and is in talks with potential buyers, the company today said.
“Due to the changed framework conditions, lower growth and strong price pressure in the solar markets, the company’s expectations for its solar energy activities have not been met,” Siemens said in a statement.
Barriers to India’s REC Market
21 October 2012POSTED IN Business Features
The market for renewable energy certificates (RECs) in India has been well established for the non-solar market. In “RECs Drive the Renewable Energy Sector in India,” Contributing Editor, Varun Mittal, gave an overview of what RECs are, how they work in India, how India’s REC mechanism compares to others around the world and he provided a status update on the current trading market. It is clear that many barriers have to be overcome for the market to flourish and in this second article in a two-part series, we look at what those barriers are and what has to change in order to move the use of renewable energy forward in India.
Satcon Announces Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Filing
18 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Satcon Technology Corporation, which provides utility scale power conversion solutions for the renewable energy market, today announced that the company and its subsidiaries have filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code.
RECs Drive India’s Renewable Energy Sector
14 October 2012POSTED IN Business Features
Renewable Energy Certificates are a financial mechanism instituted in many areas around the globe as an attempt to address the mismatch between the availability of renewable energy sources in some areas and the requirement for renewable energy standards.
