100 GW of Solar PV Now Installed in the World Today

Renewable Energy News Article
Cumulative global installed [grid connected] solar PV capacity has topped the 100-gigawatt (GW) milestone, according to preliminary numbers from the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA). (...) Europe's 69 GW of total installed capacity is enough to produce roughly 2.6% of the region's electricity demand this year, and about 5.2% of peak electricity demand, according to the EPIA.
There's another important milestone in the EPIA's tally of solar PV. Countries outside of Europe connected 13 GW, up from 8 GW in 2011 and just 3 GW in 2010; at the same time Europe's PV installations fell from 23 GW in 2011 to 17 GW in 2012, its first decline since 2006. (...) Eight nations added at least a gigawatt of grid-connected capacity in 2012: Germany, China, Italy, the U.S., Japan, France, the U.K., and India. Thirteen nations (up from 8 in 2011) are in the gigawatt-club of cumulative solar installations: Germany, Italy, the U.S., China, Japan, Spain, France, Belgium, Australia, the Czech Republic, the U.K., Greece, and India.

 

Photovoltaic Production in China's Jiangsu Province Falls 30% in 2012

Renewable Energy News Article
Total output value of the PV industry in Jiangsu province [where Suntech is located], China amounted to 180 billion yuan (approx US$28.9 billion) for the first 10 months of 2012, a year-over-year decrease of 28 percent, according to recently released data.(...) Over half of the province’s PV manufacturers are struggling, and at the same time find themselves saddled with heavy debts – over 50 percent of the firms have ceased production. (...) An industry insider said in an interview that the depression in the province’s PV industry was mainly attributed to the significantly decreased prices for PV components, the high liability ratio among certain firms, in addition to the above mentioned “exit” of more than half of the producers. The insider also suggested that the province expand PV applications across the country and accelerate a restructuring of the sector through consolidation and by shutting down the makers that don’t have the wherewithal to upgrade their technologies.

United States Challenges India’s Restrictions on U.S. Solar Exports

EQ International
United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced today that the United States has requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with the Government of India concerning domestic content requirements in India’s national solar program. India’s program appears to discriminate against U.S. solar equipment by requiring solar energy producers to use Indian-manufactured solar cells and modules and by offering subsidies to those developers for using domestic equipment instead of imports. These forced localization requirements of India’s national solar program restrict India’s market to U.S. imports.

Japan energy dispute with Canada

MarketWatch
A World Trade Organization panel (...) released a report supporting arguments made by Japan and the European Union over a Canadian province's preferential treatment for local firms in promoting renewable energy. (...) The government of Ontario required a certain percentage of components for solar and wind power generation systems to be procured in the province when it introduced a feed-in tariff system in 2009, the report said. Japan and the European Union argued the move violated WTO rules. (...) According to the Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry, it is the first judgment reached in a WTO trade dispute over renewable energy. Japan filed a complaint with the WTO in September 2010 over the requirement that would disadvantage Japanese and other foreign companies. Japan asked the WTO in June 2011 to have the dispute settlement panel resolve the issue after the Canadian province raised the percentage of local components required in solar projects to 60% from 40%-50%.

WTO
On 5 February 2013, Canada filed a notice of appeal in dispute cases “Canada – Certain Measures Affecting the Renewable Energy Generation Sector”, complaint by Japan (WT/DS412/R) and “Canada – Measures Relating to the Feed in Tariff Program”, complaint by the European Union (WT/DS426/R).

Sonae e EDP juntam-se no maior projecto de minigeração solar do país

PÚBLICO
Por cima de 46 lojas Modelo Continente – 40 neste momento, restando seis para breve –, espalhados por todo o país, 15.867 painéis solares fotovoltaicos irão produzir 125 GWh de energia ao longo de 25 anos, o equivalente à electricidade necessária para abastecer 40 mil casas durante um ano. O investimento é da EDP. “Seis milhões de euros”, anunciou nesta quinta-feira António Mexia, presidente da empresa eléctrica, durante a apresentação do projecto, em Torres Vedras. A EDP foi responsável pelo desenho, engenharia e instalação dos sistemas, detendo a propriedade destas centrais de minigeração durante 15 anos. “A EDP vende a energia à rede e paga à Sonae uma parte da totalidade das receitas obtidas como contrapartida pela utilização do espaço”, explicam as empresas. Após os 15 anos do contrato, a propriedade dos sistemas passa para a Sonae, que passa a comercializar a electricidade.

US: Thin film solar energy sells cheaper than coal fired

pv-magazine
According to the terms of the proposed PPA for the 50 MW Macho Springs solar park in New Mexico, First Solar would be selling the energy generated by its thin film modules for a record low price for the technology.
News agency Bloomberg cites a New Mexico Public Regulation Commission document relating to the yet-to-be-agreed PPA in which El Paso Electric Company agrees to pay just US$57.90/MWh generated at Macho Springs.

 The resulting $0.0579, or six cents, per kWh is less than half the average price of energy generated by new coal-fired power stations (12.8c/kWh) and significantly less than the typical price of thin film generated power (16.3c/kWh, both according to figures from Bloomberg New Energy Finance).

Solar trade war: update

CASM appeals scope of US tariffs on Chinese solar PV products
Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) filed appeals against the scope of the US trade cases regarding imports of solar photovoltaic (PV) products from China. CASM argues that Chinese-made PV modules should be included in the cases, whether or not the PV cells that comprise them were made in China. In addition to this challenge to the scope, the appeals challenge decisions not to investigate Chinese subsidies on aluminum and rolled glass, and separate duty rates for several large Chinese PV companies.

Trade complaint filed at the European Commission over solar glass imports
A new coalition of glass manufacturers for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules has filed an anti-dumping complaint with the European Commission regarding imports of glass from China. EU ProSun Glass is supported by EU ProSun, the coalition whose filings initiated European trade investigations of imported PV products from China. The coalition claims that 90% of the solar glass that the EU imports comes from China.

China drags wine into EU trade war

The China Alcoholic Drinks Industry, which represents the country’s wineries, is concerned that European winemakers are being subsidised to flood China with poor quality wines.In an interview with China Daily, Wang Zuming, secretary general of the CADA’s wine sub-branch, said: “We have noticed a clear intention to sell European wines in the Chinese market at below cost price.”