France needs to revise targets for solar energy and further cut subsidies to curb costs to consumers that may balloon to €54 billion euros (USD$70 billion) by 2020, according to Bloomberg, which was quoting a government report.

Germany-based Masdar PV has signed a contract with IG Solar PVT Ltd to supply 1.5 megawatts peak (MWp) of silicon-based thin film photovoltaics (PV) modules. Under the contract, the company has said its modules will be used on rooftops by Indian construction project developer MAG, which constructs villages in India “under the aspect of sustainability”.

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced that the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Sandia National Laboratories is investing USD$8.5 million for four projects, which have reached Stage III of the Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems (SEGIS) program. DOE reported that these investments will be matched more than one-to-one by the SEGIS contractors to support more than USD$20 million in total projects.

JA Solar Holdings Co. Ltd. has signed multiple supply agreements with several customers to provide over 500 megawatts (MW) of mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline solar cells for delivery next year. The financial sum has not been disclosed.

imec has announced it will present several large-area silicon solar cells with a conversion efficiency above 19 percent at this year’s EU PVSEC, currently being held in Valencia, Spain.

Having opened its doors to the public yesterday in Valencia, Spain, it seems the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition / 5th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (25th EU PVSEC / WCPEC-5) has got off to a positive start. And, judging by the comments coming from the trade show, everyone is keeping a keen eye on the industry’s future.

Solar Frontier K.K. has announced it will supply around one megawatt (MW) of CIS thin film solar cell modules to Miyazaki Solar Way Co., Ltd.’s ‘Tsuno No. 2 Power Plant’. Operations at the plant are expected to begin next year, in the town of Tsuno in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

By looking at how plants convert sunlight into stored energy, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have succeeded in mimicking a key aspect of the process in solar cells.

The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) has launched a European Photovoltaic Observatory at this year’s EU PVSEC, designed to identify “beneficial conditions” for market development and best practices for sustainable development of PV, in addition to promoting market transparency and harmonization across Europe.

Having opened insolvency proceedings just two days ago, Germany-based Meier Solar Solutions has already found a new investor.