Rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems manufacturer Solyndra Inc has entered into a US$115 million, long-term sales contract with solar integrator EBITSCHenergietechnik, based in Zapfendorf, Germany.
29 May, 2009
NEP Solar's solar process heat collector has won the 2009 Intersolar Award in the solar thermal category.
29 May, 2009
National Semiconductor has launched its SolarMagic power optimisers for solar panels in Europe and North America at Intersolar 2009 in Munich, Germany.
28 May, 2009
Aerowest GmbH, National Semiconductor and SOLON SE in the PV category; and NEP Solar Pty Ltd, RESOL – Elektronische Regelungen GmbH and Ritter Energie- und Umwelttechnik GmbH & Co KG for the solar thermal category.
28 May, 2009
The European Solar Thermal Industry Federations (ESTIF) says the EU and Swiss solar thermal markets grew 60% to 3.3 GW in 2008.
28 May, 2009
HgCapital’s Renewable Power Partners Fund together with local partners, have acquired a 5.25 MWp Spanish solar photovoltaic (PV) project for an undisclosed sum.
28 May, 2009
A materials scientist at Virginia Tech in the US has invented a new glass that can be used to seal solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) modules and stacks. The self-healing glass seal will provide strength and long-term stability to the stack, according to Peizhen (Kathy) Lu, assistant professor of materials science and engineering.
28 May, 2009
The US Department of Energy has awarded California-based PolyFuel a further $2.5 million in funding for its portable fuel cell development program.
28 May, 2009
The wave energy device developer Orecon and Portuguese developer Eneólica are establishing a joint ventures (JV) company to build and deploy Orecon’s first full scale 1.5 MW MRC wave energy buoy.
27 May, 2009
US-based Adaptive Materials Inc, a leading developer of solid oxide fuel cells for portable power, recently completed a 40 mile (64 km), 12 h test drive of an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The achievement, completed at Camp Grayling in Michigan, demonstrates that AMI’s 150 W fuel cell system, powered by widely available propane, enables unprecedented UGV endurance capabilities.
27 May, 2009
Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, netbooks, and cameras are becoming increasingly more important to our society. How rarely we leave the house without our trusty iPhone or Blackberry!
26 May, 2009
Siemens is building a €60 million wind turbine rotor blade and nacelle production facility in Lingang New City, Shanghai, China.
26 May, 2009
Crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturer, Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, plans to establish PV module manufacturing in the USA as part of its strategy to create a long-term presence in the States.
26 May, 2009
Renewable Energy Focus will be at Intersolar 2009 on 27-29 May to talk to representatives of the international solar energy industry.
26 May, 2009
UK-based solid oxide fuel cell developer Ceres Power has announced the successful design, build and testing of 1 kW grid-connected combined heat and power (CHP) products that meet all of the deliverables under the ‘Alpha’ phase of the company’s CHP program in conjunction with British Gas. This important milestone has been achieved within the timescale set out in the roadmap that Ceres agreed last year with BG.
26 May, 2009
California-based UltraCell Corporation, a leading producer of PEM fuel cells for mobile power applications, has announced the award of $3.8 million in new funding. The company will use the new capital to scale up manufacturing at its facility in Dayton, Ohio, believed to be the first volume-production micro fuel cell facility in North America. The money will also be used to expand sales, marketing and field trial testing of its flagship product, the UltraCell XX25™ portable fuel cell.
26 May, 2009
Canadian-based Ballard Power Systems has announced its intention to discontinue operations of Ebara Ballard Corporation. The Japanese joint venture with Ebara Corporation is focused on the development, manufacture, sale and servicing of PEM fuel cell stationary power systems for the residential cogeneration market in Japan.
25 May, 2009
Fuel Cell Europe, the European association of fuel cells developers and users, and VDMA Fuel Cells, a group of manufacturers of systems and components for fuel cells in the German Engineering Federation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster commercialisation of fuel cells.
25 May, 2009
Renewable energy advocates in the USA were disappointed with the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) included in legislation passed by a key House committee on 21 May.
22 May, 2009
A consortium comprising Andritz Hydro Brasil, Andritz Hydro Inepar and IESA Projetos has received an order to supply and install the electromechanical equipment for the Batalha hydropower station from the Brazilian federal utility, Furnas Centrais Elétricas.
22 May, 2009
About 760 biogas plants will be connected to the German national electricity grid in 2009 - three times the number in 2007 - according to estimates by the German Biogas Association. This is around 100 times more than exist in the UK.
22 May, 2009
Aberdeen’s proposed offshore windfarm is likely to be scaled down in terms of numbers of turbines, but still capable of becoming a demonstrator centre, participants at the renewable energy conference and exhibition, All-Energy in Aberdeen, Scotland, was told this week.
22 May, 2009
Environmental organisations say the shortlist of five potential tidal power schemes for the Severn Estuary announced earlier this year, is “seriously flawed” at the same time as the journal ICE Maritime Engineering say a Severn barrage would increase biodiversity and improve water quality.
22 May, 2009
Australian-based solid oxide fuel cell company Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd has launched a new modular generator product. The 2 kW BlueGen™ unit is a combined heat and power (CHP) system for homes and other buildings. CFCL has also signed a memorandum of understanding with VicUrban, the sustainable urban development agency for the southern Australian state of Victoria, to showcase the BlueGen units in VicUrban housing developments.
22 May, 2009
The 322 MW Whitelee windfarm outside Glasgow, Scotland, which could be Europe’s largest onshore windfarm, was switched on this week.
21 May, 2009
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and US Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced standards needed for the interoperability and security of a Smart Grid and US$10 million in funding under the Recovery Act to support the development of these standards.
21 May, 2009
Swedish luxury sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg and NLV Solar AG have created the thin-film solar coated, electric car, Koenigsegg Quant.
20 May, 2009
Siemens Energy will supply 175 of its SWT-3.6-107 (3.6 MW) wind turbines to the 1 GW London Array offshore windfarm owned by DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar.
20 May, 2009
The 50 MW Pays de St Seine windfarm in France, developed by RES Group’s French subsidiary EOLE-RES3, has been commissioned.
20 May, 2009
California-based Viaspace has signed a memorandum of understanding with Hayman Ltd in the UK, a packager and distributor of alcohols and solvents worldwide. Under the deal, Hayman Speciality Products will provide methanol filling and distribution services to Direct Methanol Fuel Cell Corporation.
20 May, 2009
KPMG’s annual report into mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in renewable energy, The Winds of Change, has uncovered ‘hot spots’ for future deal activity and the implications of the recession on the renewables market.
19 May, 2009
Ballard Power Systems will deliver 1 MW of fuel cell power for use in a utility load management project to FirstEnergy Corp.
19 May, 2009
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and BrightSource Energy have entered a series of contracts for a total of 1310 MW of solar thermal power covering 7 projects.
18 May, 2009
The Ontario Power Authority (OPA) has revised its proposed feed-in tariffs for renewable energy in Ontario, Canada.
18 May, 2009
SCHOTT Solar has inaugurated its utility-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facility in the USA.
18 May, 2009
Siemens has established European headquarters for wind power sales and project execution in Hamburg, Germany.
18 May, 2009
The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (EMPA) and the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have developed a hydrogen-powered municipal street cleaning vehicle, which was unveiled recently in Basel, Switzerland. The vehicle features a 20 kW PEM fuel cell system hybridized with a 12 kWh lithium-polymer battery, and with storage of 7.5 kg of hydrogen.
18 May, 2009
Italian-based Morphic Exergy Fuel Cells has signed a distribution agreement with Narbonne Accesories of France, to supply its Polaris 140 portable PEM fuel cell system. The order has a guaranteed minimum value of SEK48 million (US$6m) for Exergy, a subsidiary of Swedish-based Morphic Technologies. The product has been approved by the customer, and deliveries will begin in September.
18 May, 2009
American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC) has received an order worth more than US$10 million for its Dynamic VAR Ride Through (D-VAR RT) reactive compensation system for wind turbines, from Spanish Acciona Energy.
15 May, 2009
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a strategy for increasing the supply of renewable fuels in the USA as biofuels are poised to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022 under the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007.
15 May, 2009
The UK Carbon Trust and the China Energy Conservation Investment Corporation (CECIC) have signed an agreement to develop and deploy low carbon technologies in China – a deal that could help British export of low carbon technologies into China.
15 May, 2009
Fuel cell company Proton Power’s subsidiary Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH has launched a triple-hybrid fuel cell that can be used in Skoda busses.
15 May, 2009
Solar cell manufacturer Q-Cells saw a 75% fall in first quarter (Q1) operating profit (EBIT) to €14.7 million as uncertainty over the financing of solar photovoltaic (PV) system hit.
15 May, 2009
A hybrid air-conditioning system running on solar thermal energy and/or electricity has been launched by DuCool.
14 May, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DoE) has selected 53 projects focusing on wind energy for up to US$8.5 million in DoE funding and has announced US$25m for the Massachusetts Wind Technology Testing Center.
14 May, 2009
Siemens Energy has built a 1 MWp photovoltaic (PV) plant north of Naples, Italy, for the bottled water company Ferrarelle under a deal worth €5 million.
14 May, 2009
In California, Oorja Protonics has received a purchase order from Super Store Industries (SSI), to install its OorjaPac™ direct methanol fuel cells on SSI’s entire materials handling fleet operating in the freezer at its Lathrop facility. Oorja has also received a purchase order from LPC to install OorjaPac systems on all its electric forklifts. Oorja is pioneering the commercialization of DMFCs for forklift applications.
14 May, 2009
Swedish-based Morphic Technologies has reviewed the strategy for its Morphic Fuel Cells business unit, which now has a greater emphasis on market-driven product planning, and the subsidiaries will be given clearer responsibilities. In addition, to further strengthen the group’s fuel cell expertise, a scientific and industrial advisory council has been established.
14 May, 2009
Materials scientists at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri (WUSTL) have developed a technique for producing a bimetallic fuel cell catalyst that they say is efficient, robust, and between two and five times more effective than commercial catalysts. The palladium-platinum bimetallic nanodendritic structure offers high activity for oxygen reduction on PEM fuel cell cathodes.
14 May, 2009
DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar will invest €2.2 billion in building the first 630 MW phase of the London Array offshore windfarm in the Thames Estuary, UK.
13 May, 2009
The Marine Renewable Energy Promotion Act of 2009 looking at the development of marine and hydrokinetic energy resources has been introduced in the US House of Representatives and the companion legislation has been introduced in the US Senate.
13 May, 2009
Global sales in the small wind (<100kW) market grew 53% to 38.7 MW in 2008 representing 19,000 units and US$156 million.
13 May, 2009
A solar water heating programme has been launched in Ottawa, Canada, by Canadian renewable energy electricity provider, Bullfrog Power, together with Enbridge Gas Distribution, EnerWorks, and the Government of Canada.
13 May, 2009
First Solar Inc will supply solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to Solar Shop Australia, Pty Ltd, for a 1 MW rooftop project, said to be Australia’s largest solar PV installation.
12 May, 2009
A wind turbine at Tjæreborg Enge, 10 km south of Esbjerg in Denmark, has been fitted with a test blade with advanced measuring equipment to gather data on how to make wind turbines more efficient and less noisy.
12 May, 2009
Veeco Instruments Inc has introduced its FastLine™ platform of glass coating systems, designed for the production of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) thin-film solar cells.
12 May, 2009
The global concentrating solar power (CSP) market could reach 25 GW by 2020 as the CSP markets are entering a new growth phase led by Spain and potential in the USA despite the global economic crisis, according to analyst Emerging Energy Research (EER).
11 May, 2009
The Australian approval of the federal government’s renewable energy target (RET) brings Australia to the brink of unleashing more than A$20 billion of new clean energy investment, according to the Australian Clean Energy Council (CEC).
11 May, 2009
Greenbuild Expo, which explores sustainability in the construction industry, is taking place on 17-18 June in Manchester, UK.
11 May, 2009
The UK Carbon Trust has launched a multi-million pound global competition to find the best new wind turbine foundation designs to support the next generation of offshore windfarms.
11 May, 2009
All homes in Britain could have smart meters installed by 2020, according to plans published by the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
11 May, 2009
A snake-like 200 m rubber tube with a hydraulic turbine driving an electric generator could produce 1 MW of wave energy, according to British Checkmate Seaenergy.
08 May, 2009
Norwegian Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) ASA reported profits before tax of NOK4379 million for 2008, more than double of 2007.
08 May, 2009
Chemicals-giant DuPont has opened a US$25 million photovoltaic (PV) technical centre at its China global R&D Center in Shanghai for crystalline silicon PV.
08 May, 2009
SolarWorld has reported net earnings of €24 million in the first quarter (Q1) of 2009, up 26% from the same period in 2008.
08 May, 2009
The Austrian companies Fronius International, Bitter GmbH and boatbuilder Frauscher recently unveiled their first electric boat powered by hydrogen fuel cells, at Schloss Orth on Lake Traunsee. The boat is the realization of the partners’ Future Project Hydrogen, which aims to develop an emissions-free, fuel cell propulsion system for motorboats using hydrogen as the energy carrier.
08 May, 2009
Massachusetts-based Protonex Technology has received a $265,000 contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for advanced development of high-performance fuel cell systems for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This award expands on a series of efforts by Protonex to miniaturize fuel cells for use in smaller UAVs.
08 May, 2009
President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2010 budget request for the Department of Energy has cut $100 million from the Fuel Cell Technologies program (formerly Hydrogen Technology), reducing it by nearly 60% compared with the FY 2009 appropriation. The National Hydrogen Association and US Fuel Cell Council were quick to criticize the program cuts, saying in a joint statement that the cuts ‘threaten to disrupt commercialization of a family of technologies that are showing exceptional promise, and beginning to gain market traction.’
07 May, 2009
The US Green Building Council (USGBC) has released LEED regional credits as part of LEED 2009, the latest version of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
07 May, 2009
US Secretary of Energy, Steven Chu, plans to provide US$786.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate advanced biofuels research and development, and to provide additional funding for commercial-scale biorefinery demonstration projects.
07 May, 2009
First Solar reports first quarter (Q1) net income of US$164.6 million, soaring 253% from the same period in 2008. At the same time, the solar company has initiated the search for a new chief executive officer.
06 May, 2009
Solar energy offers enormous potential for a tropical country like India where around 45% of households, mainly rural, do not have access to electricity, according to Research and Markets’ report Indian Solar Energy Market Outlook 2012.
06 May, 2009
Siemens plans to build a wind turbine nacelle production facility in Hutchinson, Kansas, USA, to meet the “strong demand for wind turbine equipment in North and South America in the future.”
06 May, 2009
The European Parliament passed the €5 billion European Union (EU) Economic Recovery Plan on 6 May 2009, which will see investment in energy projects, broadband internet infrastructure and rural development.
06 May, 2009
3TIER has received an American Wind Energy Association 2009 Award for developing FirstLook - a free Web-based wind and solar energy prospecting tool.
06 May, 2009
The new BASF Fuel Cell production facility in Somerset, New Jersey has been officially opened, as the company moves to build on its leadership in developing energy management solutions. The state-of-the-art facility uses advanced production and automation technologies to fabricate the company’s Celtec high-temperature membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs).
06 May, 2009
UK-based ACAL Energy reports that its FlowCath® PEM fuel cell system has achieved more than 1000 h of continuous operation with no performance deterioration. The company has also confirmed operation of the complete fuel cell stack and integrated system for more than 100 h of cumulative operation at power levels of nearly 60 W, well above its design specification.
06 May, 2009
US-based MTI MicroFuel Cells, which has developed the Mobion portable power solution, has launched a Mobion Developers program for qualified original equipment manufacturers. The program will provide engineers and product designers at qualified OEMs with a Mobion Developers Kit, including a direct methanol fuel cell prototype, and the tools and information for them to evaluate and quickly understand how to integrate and use the Mobion platform in their product development efforts.
05 May, 2009
Massachusetts-based Protonex Technology is deferring the launch of its M250-B fuel cell product into the US recreational vehicle (RV) market, originally planned for this year. The delay is to allow the company to focus more of its near-term technical and business development resources onto the military version, the M250-CX.
05 May, 2009
The Oerlikon Group was hit by the global recession in the first quarter (Q1) of 2009 with orders down 46% to CHF599 million, but Oerlikon Solar is set to recover by the second half of the year.
05 May, 2009
US Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced US$41.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for fuel cell technology.
05 May, 2009
JatrophaBioJet Corporation and Abundant Biofuels Corporation have executed a Jatropha crude oil source contract for exclusive use as aviation jet biofuel.
05 May, 2009
Siemens Energy and EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG have signed a contract for the supply of 21 SWT 2.3-93 wind turbines for Germany’s first commercial offshore windfarm, the 48.3 MW Baltic 1.
05 May, 2009
Two additional hybrid MidiBuses powered by fuel cells from Canadian-based Hydrogenics have entered operation in Germany. In addition, Hydrogenics has made significant progress with its Rampini Fuel Cell bus project, now planned to be commissioned this month in Gladbeck, Germany, where Hydrogenics has its European fuel cell operation.
05 May, 2009
The University of South Carolina has been selected by the US Department of Energy to house a research center for a team of leading energy researchers in the College of Engineering and Computing. The center, with $12.5 million in federal funding, is one of 31 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) being set up by DOE’s Office of Science at leading universities, for advanced scientific research on energy.
01 May, 2009
A study will look into the potential for wave, tidal stream and tidal range technologies around the English and Welsh coastlines, according to the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
01 May, 2009
Sunfilm AG and Q-Cells’ subsidiary Sontor GmbH are merging to become what could be one of the world’s largest providers of tandem junction silicon based thin-film modules.
01 May, 2009
Colorado-based Versa Power Systems is making plans to build a manufacturing plant for its 10 kW planar solid oxide fuel cells.
01 May, 2009
Fuel cells are now also being implemented as a power source for automatic guided vehicles (AGVs). Texas-based FMC Technologies is preparing to operate two fleets of AGVs powered by two different types of fuel cell. One will be powered by hydrogen PEM fuel cells from NY-based Plug Power, while the other will utilize direct methanol fuel cell battery-chargers from Oorja Protonics in California.
01 May, 2009