UK: Court of Appeal hears FIT appeal
Uncertainty in the UKs solar industry may be reduced today as the Governments appeal against a High Court ruling that its feed-in tariff (FIT) cut was illegal is heard. The High Courts initial ruling was made in response to a case brought before it by the environmental NGO Friends of the Earth and a coalition of solar companies.
US: A new pact in California to be unveiled
Governer Edmund G. Brown and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will meet at Elk Grove, California on Friday to unveil a new agreement that seeks to boost clean energy jobs in the state.
JinkoSolar moves into France
Chinese manufacturer JinkoSolar has announced that it will open a French subsidiary. The new office will be located in Montpellier, which the company describes as being in Frances “sun belt”.
Schott Solar halts wafer manufacture
In what it says are efforts to realign its business away from upstream manufacturing, Schott Solar announced today that it will discontinue its wafer manufacturing processes. 290 jobs will be affected by the move.
Isofoton to commercialize Ferrolinera EV charging system
Spanish photovoltaic provider Isofoton has reached an agreement to commercialize a photovoltaic electric vehicle (EV) charging system. The “Ferrolinera” EV charging stations will provide more than 1,000 EV charging points throughout Spain.
UAE: 1 GW solar project launched
In a country where development projects are often bold, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has launched a solar park that, when completed, will be worth some 1,000 megawatts (MW).
No sign of "Solyndra effect"
While some sections of the photovoltaic industry continue to bend under the weight of weak demand and oversupply, the latest figures show venture capital investment at new highs.
Germany: High of 3,000 MW in December alone
The annexing of PV systems in 2011 has been concluded to have been even higher than in record year 2010, says the German Federal Network Agency. In 2011, approximately 7,500 MW of PV installations were installed.
Small European markets on the rise
The European markets remain important for solar despite the financial uncertainty. Lux Research’s Solar Demand Forecaster, a customizable platform for tracking IRR (internal rates of returns) and projecting future growth through 2016, has identified the top five locations by IRR for the first quarter of this year.
India: Solar developers in Gujarat get extension
Solar developers in Gujarat with projects under construction have been given a month’s extension to complete their plants without losing their preferential payment rates. The deadline has been extended to January 28, 2012.
