Solar Power Plants
Ontario Leads Canada’s Solar Power Generation
15 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
The report by GlobalData says Ontario is the leading beacon in Canada’s renewable energy industry, as the state sees tariffs, tax rebates and joint ventures encourage the rise of solar PV generation and the solar PV backsheet market.
Renerco Solar, SunEnergy Europe Install 31.5MW Solar Park
15 October 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Renerco Solar and project developer SunEnergy Europe have completed a 31.5MW PV power park in the German federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
US Approves Roadmap for Utility-Scale Solar on Public Lands
15 October 2012POSTED IN Politics and Policy News
As part of US President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to expand domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today finalized a program for spurring development of solar energy on public lands in six western states.
The Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for solar energy development provides a blueprint for utility-scale solar energy permitting in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah by establishing solar energy zones with access to existing or planned transmission, incentives for development within those zones, and a process through which to consider additional zones and solar projects.
Bisol Group to Develop 2MW Solar Plant in Kazakhstan
10 October 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Bisol Group will install a 2 megawatt turnkey solar power plant in Kazakhstan. The company has signed a contract with the investor Samruk-Energo to construct and install a ground mounted and sun-tracking PV system in the city of Kapchagay in Almaty Province.
Report Forecasts Surge to Come in China Solar Market
09 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
China’s domestic photovoltaic (PV) market made a slow start to the year, with just 720MW installed in the first half, according to the latest research from IMS Research. However, installations are forecast to surge in the second half, with more than 4GW of PV installations to be completed, taking full year installations to 5GW, according to the Q3’12 edition of the China PV Market – Supply and Demand Quarterly report, released in September.
PV Plant Ilumina Inaugurated in Puerto Rico
09 October 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Ilumina, a 20MW PV plant in Puerto Rico, has been officially inaugurated.The 138-acre solar farm, which uses GPtech PV inverters and a Power Plant Controller (PPC) also from GPtech, will use some 100,000 photovoltaic panels to produce enough electricity to power 6.000 homes.
First Solar Selects Partners for 50MW PV Projects in Rajasthan
08 October 2012POSTED IN Applications News
First Solar, Kiran Energy Solar Power and Mahindra Solar One today said they have completed an agreement for the supply of First Solar’s advanced, thin-film solar modules for two solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants totaling 50MW to be constructed in India’s Rajasthan state.
Solar Power Generation USA: 2013 speaker lineup
03 October 2012POSTED IN Business News
Solar Power Generation USA today announced its 2013 speaker lineup, which will feature more than 100 experts covering dedicated tracks on solar and the grid, distributed PV power generation, plant design and operation as well as a finance and investment stream.
GeoModel’s pvSpot Assesses PV Plant Performance
03 October 2012POSTED IN New Products
GeoModel Solar today announced SolarGIS pvSpot, a next-generation performance assessment tool for photovoltaic power plants that can detect underperformance of PV power plant in Europe and South Africa.
The tool is based on the latest advancements in satellite-based solar modeling and electricity simulation.
US Military Support for Solar Energy
02 October 2012POSTED IN Editors Blogs
In a heated election season, many US voters see solar and renewable energy as a partisan debate. They shouldn’t. Case in point: the US military.
The US Department of Defense, the world’s largest energy consumer, realized early on that renewables decrease US reliance on foreign oil and save taxpayers’ money.
EU PVSEC 2012: Q.Cells receives VDE certificate
28 September 2012POSTED IN Business News
Q.Cells today announced that Q.Mega, the company’s 1.4-megawatt standard block unit for ground-mounted systems, has been awarded the The VDE (Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies) Quality Tested certificate for managed planning and correct construction.
The independent testing institute presented the certification to Q.Cells at the 27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Frankfurt.
First Solar to Build 20MW Solar Projects
27 September 2012POSTED IN Applications News
First Solar today announced agreements to construct four solar power plants totaling 20MW of generating capacity for PNM Resources in New Mexico (US).
First Solar will provide engineering, procurement and construction services, using its advanced thin-film photovoltaic PV modules. PNM has the option to expand the agreement to a total of 22 MWAC.
On-Site Generation Needs Costs Cut in Half
25 September 2012POSTED IN Business News
On-site generation needs more than sustainability goals in order to expand from a niche play and grow into a large market, according to a recent report by Lux Research, it needs better economics, with capital expenditure (capex) reductions being the most promising catalyst.
UK Renewable Energy Capacity to Equal Thermal by 2025
19 September 2012POSTED IN Business News
Growing government support, combined with significant untapped potential, could see the UK’s renewable energy installed capacity almost match that of the traditionally dominant thermal sector by 2025, according to research by alternative energy analysts at GlobalData.
The company’s latest report predicts that the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy plants will reach 79,000MW by 2025, just 2,000MW less than the predicted thermal installed capacity for the same year.
SPI 2012: Schneider Electric selected for 72MW Puerto Rico projects
18 September 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Schneider Electric has been selected by Sonnedix, a global solar independent power producer, and Yarotek, a developer of utility-scale renewable energy projects in the Americas, to supply 95 Conext Core XC 630 inverters for two solar power plants totaling 72 MW DC (60 MW AC) in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, US.
PV Measurement and Control
17 September 2012POSTED IN Applications Features
Controlling the efficiency of photovoltaic panels requires parameter measurement after installation and during operation. Measurements are related to solar irradiance, meteorological conditions and panel properties. Whether dealing with photovoltaic panels in large-scale solar parks or with just a small number of panels on a private roof, power delivery should give a satisfactory return on investment. Operators are interested in immediate measurement results, along with long-term monitoring and performance tracking of the panels, culminating in a comparison with the manufacturer’s specifications.
Lightsource, Solarcentury Complete 5MW Solar Plant
14 September 2012POSTED IN Applications News
Utility-scale solar plant developer Lightsource Renewable Energy and PV installer Solarcentury today announced they have completed a 5MW utility-scale solar plant close to the village of Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, UK.
The solar plant will provide enough renewable electricity during daylight hours to power more than 70% of AmeyCespa’s Mechanical Biological Treatment plant in Waterbeach, providing a sustainable, local energy solution.
Building US Energy Independence on Public Lands
07 September 2012POSTED IN Politics and Policy Features
The lazy days of summer haven’t been so lazy for the US federal government, which has recently given the green light to several solar projects on federal lands and developed a roadmap for future large-scale solar development in the West.
SPI 2012: Atonometrics expands measurement system portfolio
06 September 2012POSTED IN New Products
Atonometrics, a developer of solar photovoltaic test and measurement technologies, today introduced a new suite of offerings to its product portfolio: the Irradiance Measurement System, the PV Module Soiling Measurement System and the PV Module Degradation Measurement System.
By quantifying the effects of various elements on PV plant performance using on-site testing, the tools allow operators to mitigate risk and maximize return on investment.
SolarPACES 2012 Sener and Torresol Take Part
06 September 2012POSTED IN Business News
The engineering and technology group Sener and its joint venture with Masdar, Torresol Energy, is planning to attend the international conference on field of concentrating solar power (CSP) 'SolarPACES 2012, Concentrated Solar Power and Chemical Energy Systems', to be held in the Moroccan city of Marrakech between 11 and 14 September.
