While in many parts of the world the photovoltaic and wider solar industry has had a rocky ride in 2011, in the U.S. it remains one of the strongest growing industries. As the market matures, declining module prices and streamlined project development and installations are behind the growth.

The Suntech 300W Vd series photovoltaic module has been released for the Israeli market. Suntech claims the multicrystalline module achieves an efficiency of up to 15.5 percent.

While recent figures show that the vast majority of photovoltaic installations in the U.S. remain in states with existing solar economies and feed in tariff schemes, a new online campaign hopes to raise awareness amongst legislators as to the possibilities for job creation in the solar sector.

Chinese manufactures of photovoltaic crystalline silicon cells and modules, China Sunergy, has opened its U.S. headquarters in San Francisco.

While estimates of how many jobs are being created in “green industries” are never easy, a report by nonprofit research institution Brookings has found that 2.7 million workers are now employed in industries that also benefit the environment, such as photovoltaics.

The three-day photovoltaic industry event Intersolar North America has opened its doors to visitors from 62 countries. 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the event.

The SunRun photovoltaic installation scheme has expanded to the U.S. state of Maryland, partnering installer Greenspring Energy.

German photovoltaic manufacturer Q-Cells has set an efficiency world record for its polycrystalline solar modules, having achieved a module efficiency of over 18 percent for the first time.

In what some consider an area of significant growth in the photovoltaic sector, e-mobility has been in focus this week with manufacturers big and small presenting their latest technology.

A 50 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic array is to be installed on the roof of Coventry Cathedral. It is the first time a cathedral in the U.K. will utilize solar power in this way.