In response to the growing U.S. photovoltaics (PV) market, China-based silicon ingots, wafers, and cells and modules manufacturer Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd. has said it plans to double shipment volumes to the U.S. next year to between 100 to 150 megawatts (MW).

U.S.-based China manufacturing company, Worldwide Energy and Manufacturing USA, Inc. has opened a 129,000-square-foot, 100 megawatt (MW) photovoltaics (PV) solar module production facility and research and development center in Nantong, China. Initial operations are scheduled to begin in the third quarter of this year, with 120 employees.

An inauguration ceremony is being held today to mark the completion of Q-Cells SE’s 5.3-megawatt (MW) solar power station, located close to Spremberg in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. The project, which covers a 19-hectare brownfield site, cost around €16 million. Construction began in mid-June.

In a bid to bring renewable energy, like solar power, to Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Brian Stevens of the Texas Army National Guard is working with the Energy Executives Leadership Program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), which sees 20 energy executives gather together once a month for energy education sessions.

The date by which Italian photovoltaics (PV) installations should enter into operation to continue to enjoy the incentive rates contained in the second energy bill – the one currently in force and which is due to expire at the end of the year – has been postponed, according to Qualenergia.it.

Solon SE has told pv magazine it is to stop manufacturing dual-axis tracking systems due to the “drastic” decrease in silicon prices. The company also announced that 50 people from its Austrian subsidiary Solon Hilber Technologie GmbH (SHT) will be made redundant as a result of a management buyout.

Power Integrations has today announced it has powered up a USD$3.6-million solar photovoltaics (PV) array at its San Jose headquarters in the Edenvale Technology Park, in California, the U.S. At 600 kilowatts, the system is among the 10 largest solar facilities in Silicon Valley, says the company. The installation took six months to complete.

The Kyocera Corporation is set to begin full-scale production at its new Yasu solar cell manufacturing facility in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Solar company Cenergy Power and Primex Farms, grower and processor of pistachios and trader of dried fruits and nuts have begun construction on a 1.1 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaics system at Primex’s Wasco pistachio facility, located in California, the U.S.

SunEdison, a division of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. has announced it is to develop and build industrial and retail rooftop photovoltaics (PV) projects worth 1.5 megawatts for CanFirst Capital Management in Canada.