New Solar Feed-In-Tariff Levels Announced In Japan

SolarIndustryMag.com
New feed-in tariffs (FITs) for PV installations in Japan are expected to begin in July. Under the proposal, nonresidential systems under 10 kW will receive 40 yen/kWh [38c€/kWh] for 20 years, excluding tax. Residential systems under 10 kW will receive 42 yen/kW[k] for 10 years, including tax. The FIT levels are in line with a proposal from the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association.
"We would expect a financing component to be introduced with low-cost, easily accessible financing," the Jefferies analysts write. "With this, the program will be one of the most attractive globally. We estimate Japan will grow to over 10 percent of the global PV market by 2013 from [approximately] 5 percent of the total today."

Governo trava eólicas e corta energia solar em mais de 60%

Jornal de negócios
A revisão do Plano Nacional de Acção para as energias renováveis (PNAER) dará menos espaço para o crescimento de fontes como a eólica e a energia solar. Face ao anterior plano, delineado pelo Governo de José Sócrates, o PNAER do Executivo de Pedro Passos Coelho reduz em 23% a meta de capacidade eólica em 2020 e corta em 63% a fasquia de potência solar.

Energia Portuguesa DST Solar vai fabricar e instalar mais 2 mil painéis fotovoltaicos no Norte do país

Expresso.pt
A empresa DST Solar anunciou hoje que ganhou três novos contratos para fabricar e instalar mais dois mil painéis para centrais fotovoltaicas no Norte de Portugal, num investimento global de 1,5 milhões de euros.
Os projetos ganhos pela DST Solar, do grupo Domingos da Silva Teixeira, implicarão um aumento da potência instalada em cerca de 600 kW e refletem "a aposta estratégica" no segmento de mercado das energias renováveis, disse o presidente do grupo, José Teixeira.
A fábrica Global Sun, outra das empresas deste grupo, vai também beneficiar com estes três novos projetos, porque irá produzir os painéis fotovoltaicos.

France drafts rules for 10% FIT bonus for PV products made in Europe

SolarServer
The French Department of Ecology for Sustainable Development, Transport and Housing has drafted a rule to create a 10% bonus to the nation's feed-in tariff (FIT) for use of solar photovoltaic (PV) components produced in the European Economic Area (EEA) [which also includes Norway]. (...) The regulation specifies that at least 2/3 of the PV production processes for crystalline silicon technology from silicon ingots to PV modules must be performed in the EEA to qualify for the bonus. (...) This would mean that both the slicing of wafers and processing of wafers to cells, or the slicing of wafers and assembling of cells into modules, or alternately the processing of wafers to cells and assembly of cells into modules, must take place in EEA member states.
The rule did not mention thin-film PV modules, and is scheduled to take effect from January 1st, 2013.

Ricardo Leandro vence competição europeia Energy2B

Ciência hoje

Ricardo Leandro venceu a competição europeia Energy2B com a ideia para criar um colector solar térmico de baixo custo, acoplável a um módulo fotovoltaico.

“Com o colector, as famílias podem reduzir a sua conta da electricidade e de gás”, afirma o aluno da Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa (FCUL) ao Ciência Hoje. Isto porque o colector solar térmico transparente“resolve problemas” de consumo e produção de electricidade, de tempo de vida dos materiais constituintes do módulo fotovoltaico e de consumo de gás para aquecimento de água.

O investigador garante que o sistema“é de operação simples, fácil instalação, com elevada durabilidade e usa materiais de baixo custo”.

First Solar Restructuring, Closing Frankfurt, Idling Lines in Malaysia, RIF in US and EU

Greentech Media
First Solar is closing its Frankfurt (Oder) manufacturing facility and indefinitely idling four production lines of the 24 lines in Kulim, Malaysia. The firm reports that it expects a savings of $100 million to $120 million annually as a result. First Solar also paid down $145 million in debt. The company is slashing headcount by 2,000 positions -- about 30 percent of its workforce. The firm wants to get opex down to 8 percent of revenue.

70MW Solar Power Plant in Japan

News release | KYOCERA
Kyocera , IHI  and Mizuho CB today announced that the three companies have reached a basic agreement to construct a 70-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in southern Japan and to further explore a business model for utility-scale solar power generation. The “mega-solar plant” is being built to help solve Japan’s power supply issues caused by the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and to make a contribution to environmental protection, including the reduction of CO₂ emissions.

Q-Cells files for insolvency

SolarServer
Q-Cells SE has announced that it will file for insolvency proceedings on April 3rd, 2012 in Dessau, Germany.
The company states that this decision follows an intensive review of alternative concepts for financial restructuring, and that it will work with a preliminary insolvency administrator to assure the continuity of the company.