Manufacturing

Constellation Wines U.S. has announced it is to invest in three solar energy installations across California. Around 17,000 solar panels will reportedly be installed at the four wineries by the end of the year, making the initiative the largest solar footprint in the country’s wine industry, according to the company.

Following the news that the Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy has called on the European Union (EU) to include photovoltaics (PV) under the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), Professor Martin A. Green has told pv magazine he would like to see a fixed date for RoHS compliance.

SunEdison and Gyeongsangnam-do (GSND), a provincial government in southeastern Korea, have announced the execution of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of 400 megawatts (MW) of solar power plants in the Korean province. The projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Hong Kong-based Wellkey Solar Technology Co. Ltd has signed an agreement with the Sanshui Government of Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China to set up its photovoltaics (PV) module production line in LePing High Tech Industrial Zone, located near Guangzhou Airport. The company has said it plans to reach one gigawatt (GW) of annual module production capacity by 2015.

Using carbon nanotubes – hollow tubes of carbon atoms – Massachusetts Institute of Technology chemical engineers say they have found a way to concentrate solar energy 100 times more than a regular photovoltaic (PV) cell. Such nanotubes could reportedly form antennas that capture and focus light energy, potentially allowing much smaller and more powerful solar arrays, according to Chinese news agency, xinhuanet.

??Solarwatt, located in Dresden, Germany has invested over €35 million in a new solar module production line and logistics center. Operations have already begun on the production line, where capacity has been expanded from 200 to 400 megawatts peak. The company added that up to 140 new jobs are expected to be created in the region.

Underwriters Laboratories (UL), has opened a testing and certification facility for photovoltaic (PV) equipment in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. It added that it has plans to open a further facility in India.

The largest solar power station in the Czech Republic opened on Wednesday in the village of Veprek, some 20 kilometers north of Prague, according to Chinese news agency, xinhuanet.

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd., has signed a financial partnership agreement with the Shanghai branch of China Development Bank (CDB) in China, for up to RMB30 billion (around USD$4.4 billion, €3.5 billion) of credit facilities and financing.

One of Europe’s largest photovoltaic (PV) power plants is set to be built in the Puglia region of Italy. The 48-megawatt (MW) park will reportedly consist of 600,000 solar panels spread across 250 acres.