Amongst the doom and gloom surrounding the accelerated and sudden cuts to the German photovoltaic feed-in tariffs (FIT), a glimmer of hope has emerged from an unexpected place. On Wednesday, the U.K. achieved one gigawatt (GW) of installed capacity, illustrating just how much faster than expected the British public and businesses have embraced solar.

Solar Frontier president, Shigeaki Kameda, attended a ceremony last month to activate the 10 megawatt (MW) Mt. Komekura Solar Plant, in the Yamanashi Prefecture, central Japan.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) last week submitted a petition to have the standards for connecting smaller photovoltaic arrays to the grid changed. SEIA has sought to alter specifications that require installations to produce less that 15 percent of the annual peak load if they are to qualify for the “fast track” interconnection of small generation.

Australian scientists are working on a research project to network solar arrays across many roofs and households, into a “virtual power station”. The project hopes to improve the “predictability, quality and response” of power being put back into the local power grid.

Equipment manufacturer Applied Materials has posted strong first quarter (Q1) 2012 results, including a non-GAAP operating income of US$240 million, from net sales of $2.19 billion. Sales were down $50 million year-on-year, but up slightly up from the fourth quarter (Q4) 2011.

A new research project at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), is aiming to get photovoltaics applied in brave new ways and many more places. The project, at the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Low-Carbon Living at UNSW, will focus on a range of techniques, applications and potential impediments relating to photovoltaic technology.

A three-year multilateral and multinational research project has been launched, aimed at bringing efficiency, output and utilization gains right across the photovoltaic system. From cell to smart grid, the ERG project will involve research and development businesses, and bodies from eight European countries.

A three-year multilateral and multinational research project has been launched aimed at bringing efficiency and output gains right across the photovoltaic system. From cell to smart grid, the ERG project will involve research and development businesses and bodies from eight European countries.

In light of increased financing costs and major European photovoltaic markets facing an uncertain immediate future, S.A.G. Solarstrom AG has today reported that earnings are down for 2011.

New research from the University of Cambridge in the U.K. is developing a method by which more of sun’s spectrum can be harnessed by a photovoltaic cell. In theory, the hybrid semiconductor method could push through the theoretical efficiency barrier limiting silicon solar cells.