Markets

The U.S. added several more notches to its “sunbelt” during the first quarter (Q1) of 2012, according to a newly released market report. During the first three months of the year, Tennessee (number five), Hawaii (six),and North Carolina (seven) secured spots among the top ten states, ranked by installed solar capacity—pushing Maryland (12), Oregon (13), and Texas (15) farther down the list.

While the expectations of SolarWorld launching a Sino-EU photovoltaic trade case during Intersolar Europe begin to the fade, the company has highlighted projects in the U.S. where municipal governments are turning to photovoltaics.

Bloomberg has reported that changes to Germany’s photovoltaic support program, introduced to the German parliament by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government, may not go through, after negotiations with the parliament’s upper house broke down.

Intersolar 2012 is almost at an end. Overall, the event has been positively received, with many remarking on the high visitor quality. Speaking to exhibitors, a few trends emerged which, while perhaps not new, are definitely gaining traction in the industry.

Comeback kid Scheuten Solar has celebrated its revival, from the brink, at the Intersolar Europe trade show. With Chinese investor Aikosolar taking over the intellectual property, commercial team and also German manufacturing facilities, the company believes it demonstrates a new way forward for troubled European producers. Scheuten Solar CCO Perry Verberne spoke with pv magazine.

A report from Australia’s leading national science and the technology research organization has found that the challenges posed by the intermitted supply of electricity produced by solar installations can be overcome.

International semiconductor developer Soitec reported at the Intersolar Europe trade show today that it has completed what it claims is Italy’s largest concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) power plant in Sicily. The company says that the 1.17 megawatt (MW) power plant, “paves the way for many other CPV plants to be developed in the country.”

California-based Solar Mosaic have moved a step towards rolling out its “crowdfunded” photovoltaic model, picking up a grant from the Department of Energy (DOE), as a part of its SunShot program.

The IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization, has sent a message to the photovoltaic industry that it needs to collaborate in the global marketplace, in the highly-competitive current market.

While photovoltaic manufacturers struggle through difficult market conditions, two new reports have shown that solar attracted twice as much investment as wind in 2011. The reports have also shown that total renewable-energy investments – excluding hydro-electric – accounted for 44 percent of all new generating capacity worldwide.