Solar energy is more prevalent today than ever before. Worldwide, investors put more than US$1.66 billion into the solar market in 2010, with the United States, France, Israel, and Canada leading the pack. Of late, Ontario has ranked particularly well in the photovoltaic (PV) market, encouraged by government incentives, such as the province’s feed-in tariff (FIT) program, which
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City Council in Owen Sound, Ontario, will soon decide whether the municipality will join the province’s green economy with a pair of ground-mounted solar installations on city-owned property.
Within the next few months, Owen Sound’s Environmental Superintendent, Chris Hughes, will present a plan to Council for
LG Electronics announced the company’s entry into the United States PV market at the Solar Power International conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Geoff Slevin, recently appointed Vice President of the Solar Division at LG Electronics North America, said that “The U.S. is one of the fastest growing solar markets in the world and is expected to grow significantly over
Just across the bay from Vote Solar HQ, the team of researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has been busy as ever cranking out detailed reports of valuable information on clean energy markets, policies, costs and benefits. We found two recent reports particularly illuminating:
State RPS Policies are Key to U.S. Solar Market Growth
While lawmakers deliberate over the fate of Pennsylvania’s solar industry, the state’s Public Utility Commission remains engaged in its own efforts to provide a stable foundation for solar energy growth.
Just last week, the Commission released a long awaited policy statement and voted 5-0 to establish long-term revenue stability for
Big solar news from Illinois last week. The Wanxiang America Corporation held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new $12.5 million, 40,000 sq ft solar module plant in the town of Rockford. It’s yet another example of how product follows policy and how manufacturing follows markets. It is yet another example of how strong solar programs beget new jobs. And of how the
While we’ve still got our eye on the prize of unleashing real solar market growth with the New York Solar Jobs Act, our work to improve New York’s existing PV incentive program keeps on truckin.
New York’s Public Service Commission recently released its 2010-1015 plans for the customer-sited program under the
(Reuters) – Italy, Europe’s No. 3 solar market, will not lose its appeal to investors despite a cut in production incentives and is likely to add about 1,000 megawatt of capacity a year in 2010-2013, the industry body head said.
Italy will slash feed-in tariffs
With an eye on Ontario, Conergy and Sustainable Energy Technologies have partnered up to supply Sunergy inverters to one of North America’s most active solar markets. Over the next year, the two companies hope to produce 3MW of clean energy, spread across a number of different projects. First on the list is a 75kW rooftop installation on Brampton’s Metex Heat Treating facility.
In high-tech industries, it is not uncommon for such partnerships to emerge, with each side enjoying greater access to knowledge and skills outside of its core expertise. According to Conergy’s Managing Director
Twenty-five solar industry and regulatory leaders shared data and forecast a positive future, especially for small-scale projects, at the third Solar Electric Utility Conference hosted by PHOTON International Thursday in San Francisco.
Smaller Is Better
Keynote speaker Pat Wood III, former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and now with Wood3 Resources, summarized the dominant theme of the day. “As I was preparing my presentation, I was struck by the growth of ‘bite-sized’ solar projects and how that is an emerging trend and is based on solid economic data,” he said.
Chinese manufacturers of photovoltaic solar panels have secured an increasing hold in California, the United States’ largest solar market, doubling their market share in the last year alone, according to a new report.
In the last three years, China’s share of the market increased from 2 percent to 46 percent, says Bloomberg New Energy Finance, a research and consulting firm.
The share of U.S. manufacturers in the California market dropped from 43 percent to 16 percent during that same period.
“The ascendancy of Chinese manufacturers would be noteworthy regardless of market conditions, but is particularly telling in a time when purse-strings are still tight,” the report said.
Chinese Solar Energy Experts Coming Together at Technology and Investment Congress
written by Environmental News Network
China is the world’s largest manufacturer of solar photovoltaic panels, providing roughly 40 percent of the global market share in 2008. China’s domestic solar market is on the cusp of a boom thanks to new solar incentives announced this year cutting the cost of purchase and installation by as much as half.
With over 150 attendees, including international senior executives, top-level Chinese government officials, industry experts and leading production and technology directors, the China Solar Energy Technology and Investment Congress organized by Noppen in close co-organization with Huhhot Municipal Government took place on 10-11 December in Huhhot, Inner Mongolia, China. The focus of the event was how to drive down the cost per installed watt and the future growth of the solar energy market in China.
Opening speeches at the conference, welcoming the top experts and industry leaders to Huhhot, were given by the Mayor of Huhhot, Mr. Tang Aijun and Vice Mayor of Huhhot, Mr. Lv Huisheng. Subsequently, the first presentation of the day was given by Hu Runqing, National Development and Reform Commission, on solar power development, challenges and future advances. Mr. Liu Min, Director General of Development and Reform Commission of Huhhot, introduced to the audience the incentive policies of developing solar industry and the current state of the solar industry in Huhhot. Keynote speaker Frank Haugwitz, former EU Renewable Energy Manager, EU-China Energy & Environment Programme (EEP) gave a detailed introduction of Europe’s solar energy development and its future trend.
Industry leaders gave their most up-to-date technology and investment information. Enfinity’s presentation was given by Zhou Jing, General Manager, Enfinity China; Gaёtan Borgers, Global Industry Executive Director at Dow Corning spoke about reducing ownership costs with more durable and efficient silicon-based materials; Wayne McMillan, VP at BT Imaging highlighted the advantages of using inline photoluminescence inspection; and EUROTRON, represented by Bram Verschoor, CCO, made a presentation on high speed production lines for back contacted solar cells.
Highlights at the conference included the presentation by Lee Seong Hooi, Group Manager Field Engineering, FM Engineering International Ltd, Japan Branch, which dealt with risk management strategies for solar panel manufacturers and other presentations from top domestic experts, like Wen Lishi, Member of Chinese Academy of Engineering; Jiang Liping, Vice President of State Power Grid Energy Research Institute; and Xu Honghua, Vice Director General, Institute of Electrical Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences, were all very well received. Some of the other topics discussed include the opportunities and challenges facing solar industry technologies in China, key technologies of large scale solar farm development and operation, and promoting the development of the silicon industry in China through international methodologies.
Article by Roger Greenway, appearing courtesy of ENN
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