Becky Beetz
PV equipment association to cooperate with Saudi solar industry
The International PV Equipment Association (IPVEA) has entered into a mutual cooperation agreement with the Saudi Arabia Solar Industry Association (SASIA). The aim is to promote the benefits of photovoltaics in the MENA region and share knowledge.
Activ Solar completes 29.3 MW PV plant in Ukraine
Activ Solar has commissioned a 29.3 MW photovoltaic plant in the Mykolaiv region of southern Ukraine.
Deutsche Bank: Sustainable solar market expected in 2014
Buoyed by bullish demand forecasts, and increasing utilization rates and pricing, Deutsche Bank forecasts a solar market transition from subsidized to sustainable in 2014.
US announces $27 million in solar funding
Under its SunShot Initiative, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that up to US$15 million will be paid out to the solar manufacturing industry. It has also made up to $12 million available under the Solar Rooftop Challenge II.
Trina continues to see net losses
Trina Solar Limited sustained significant losses throughout 2012. While photovoltaic module shipments performed favorably, revenues failed to increase compared to the previous year. Both an imbalance in supply and demand, and “aggressive” pricing strategies have been blamed. On a positive note, Trina expects shipments to increase by as much as 30% in 2013.
Uruguay plans to sell solar for $90/MWh
According to reports, Uruguays government is gearing up to establish a national solar industry. A new decree requiring the countrys national power utility to purchase 200 MW of solar energy is expected to be issued shortly. There are fears, however that compensation is not high enough to attract developers.
Canadian Solar partners with Strata Solar on 85 MW PV project
Canadian Solar, Inc. and Strata Solar have joined forces to work on 85 MW of photovoltaic plants in the U.S.
India: AEG supplies inverters to 30 MW PV project
AEG Power Solutions will supply 30 MW worth of inverters to M and B Switchgears Ltds 30 MW photovoltaic project, located in Madhya Pradesh, India.
Pakistan to vote on solar PV FIT program
Pakistan is gearing up to introduce a photovoltaic feed-in tariff (FIT) program, which will see US$0.2329 paid per kWh to plants between one and 100 MW in size. A meeting is scheduled to be held on February 27 to finalize the plans.
South Africa: Siemens starts work on 100 MW of PV
Siemens has begun work on two 50 MW photovoltaic projects in South Africa for Globeleq Generation Limited. They are scheduled to be operational by mid-2014.
