News for May 2013

News Archive

Ernst & Young: Energy Bill slow progress hinders UK's investment potential

The UK is missing out on a unique opportunity to become the market of choice for investment in renewables in Europe as political infighting delays the Energy Bill becoming a reality, according to the tenth anniversary edition of the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices (RECAI), released by Ernst & Young this week.

New fast-drying mid-coat speeds up offshore wind tower production and cuts cost

Coating supplier Hempel has launched a new Norsok-approved epoxy mid-coat which the company says can reduce drying times for offshore wind tower manufacturers by up to 25% and help drive down production costs.

ABB to produce solar PV inverters in South Africa

ABB plans to start production of central inverters in South Africa to support the rapidly growing local photovoltaic market and local content requirements. The company said it plans to open the new inverter production line at its existing facilities in Johannesburg in 2014.

Bisol Group invests €2mn in PV module production automatisation Bisol Group invests €2mn in PV module production automatisation

The Group used its own funds for the extensive investments into further automatisation of its photovoltaic (PV) module production environment.

From the archive: First of our "top 5 viewed articles" on Renewable Energy Focus.com...

Number 1: End-of-life PV: then what? - Recycling solar PV panels

Green light for Galloper offshore wind farm

Galloper Wind Farm Limited said it has been granted permission by the UK government to construct a 504MW wind farm off the coast of Suffolk.

Doosan secures major boiler and turbine project for France’s largest biomass power plant

Doosan Power Systems said it has been awarded a major biomass conversion and turbine upgrade project for E.ON’s coal-fired Provence power plant in Gardanne – Meyreuil, France.

Further wave and tidal leasing to accelerate technology development

The UK Crown Estate has announced plans to lease further wave and tidal sites in a bid to encourage and accelerate technology development.

Viaspace and Agricorp to develop 12MW power plant in Nicaragua

California-based Viaspace has signed a joint development agreement with Grain Hill/Agricorp; it will establish a company to develop, build, own and operate a 2,100 acre Giant King Grass plantation (and an adjacent 12MW biomass power plant) on the Agricorp Agricola Miramontes plantation on the shores of Lake Nicaragua.

Martifer Solar to build Latin America's largest PV plant in Mexico

The Aura Solar I project will quadruple the total PV capacity installed in Mexico.

New university partnership to support industry and government on offshore wind

Three of Scotland’s east coast universities are combining their expertise and experience – and advantage of location – to launch a new institute they say aims to become the recognised global authority on the delivery and implementation of offshore renewable energy.

Segen to supply Renusol solar mounting systems to the UK

Segen said it has launched a new partnership with Renusol, a manufacturer of solar mounting systems for domestic and commercial arrays.

Frauenhofer ISE and Soitec develop multi-junction solar cells

In an ambitious industry project with the French company Soitec, Fraunhofer ISE is currently developing a new generation of multi-junction solar cells it says have a efficiency potential as high as 50% under concentrated sunlight.

Japanese rooftop PV-system to provide clean energy for 300 households

Joint venture juwi Shizen Energy has connected its first rooftop PV-system to the grid in Japan.

New report says solar power reduces military costs and boosts security

The US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) has released a first-of-its-kind report detailing how innovative solar technologies are helping the US military meet many of its critical functions – from security and battlefield readiness to cost savings and efficiency.

Australian CEC councerned over renewables budget cuts

Australian industry association Clean Energy Council (CEC) has voiced concerns over the government's move to cut over A$600mn from the state budget for renewable energy projects.

Saint Lucia signs up for the Carbon War Room’s ‘Ten Island Renewable Challenge’

Saint Lucia announced its intention to move towards a clean energy future by becoming the next economy to join Carbon War Room’s Ten Island Challenge, at the Caribbean Conservation Summit held on Necker Island, co-hosted by Sir Richard Branson, the Prime Minister of Grenada, and Premier of the British Virgin Islands.

Babcock builds innovative floating met monitoring system for offshore wind developers

Babcock has commenced construction of a new floating Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) system, designed to provide critical meteorological data for offshore wind farm developers.

Tidal Lagoon Power to begin seabed investigation works on site in Swansea

Geotechnical investigation work for the proposed tidal lagoon in Swansea Bay is about to begin as Tidal Lagoon Power starts the process of determining seabed conditions in the area.

SEIA says multilateral negotiations key to resolving China trade dispute

Concern is growing within SEIA and in other quarters over the effects of the dispute on the global economy.

Wind power: New nacelle-mounted Lidar wind turbine power curve measurement procedure announced Wind power: New nacelle-mounted Lidar wind turbine power curve measurement procedure announced

Avent Lidar Technology has announced the public release of the first independently developed power curve measurement procedure for the new nacelle-mounted Lidars, following a three-year project.

Siemens: Europe can save €45bn by optimising renewable energy generation

Siemens – which is hosting six Round Table discussions around the globe to discuss levers for optimising energy systems worldwide – says if regional characteristics were given higher priority when investments were made in renewable energy installations, Europe could save billions of Euros. The European energy system is inefficient to the point of damaging the continent's competitiveness, it adds.

SgurrEnergy elected advisor for world’s first, purpose built tidal lagoon power plant

The company will provide technical support and advice for the proposed £650mn lagoon power plant, to be based in Wales.

Tocardo and Climex agree to sell tidal energy

Dutch hydropower turbine manufacturer Tocardo Tidal Turbines and carbon credit trading platform Climex have agreed to sell energy generated by Tocardo’s turbines through Climex’s green energy trading platform.

RES completes UK Lincolnshire Grange Wind Farm

RES has completed a seven-turbine site in Lincolnshire which it says will generate electricity for more than 10,000 homes.

WWEA: 100 countries now using wind power

The 2012 report by the World Wind Energy Association shows 100 countries are using electricity generated by wind turbines, with Iceland recently becoming the 100th nation to deploy wind power. However, the market’s overall growth rate of 19.2 % is the lowest rate in more than a decade, despite an annual turnover of €60bn, according to the report.

Intersolar Europe 2013: TÜV Rheinland expands quality programme for solar investors Intersolar Europe 2013: TÜV Rheinland expands quality programme for solar investors

The provider of testing services for the solar industry, TÜV Rheinland, will be at Intersolar 2013 presenting new, practical testing services for investors, project developers, and installers of photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Hager launches surge protection devices

Hager has launched type 1 + 2 surge protection devices (SPDs) that are designed to optimise arc extinction for both direct lightning strikes and for type 2 8/20 waveforms.

Largest US federal wind farm to be built by Siemens

Siemens has been awarded a contract to construct the US's largest state-run wind farm.

London has lowest solar panel uptake in UK

According to an analysis by environment & engineering consultancy WSP, London has ranked lowest in the UK for uptake of solar panels.

JCM Capital seeks partners for utility-scale solar PV project development in Japan

JCM Capital (JCM) has set up a company in Japan to invest in utility-scale ground based solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.

Aid project in Liberia: Trina Solar donates solar panels to provide school with electricity

Trina Solar is providing solar panels to support a joint aid project in Liberia carried out by the charities Project for Liberia and Engineers Without Borders.

Institution of Engineering and Technology Seeks World’s Brightest Engineering Innovations

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has launched a worldwide search for the best engineering innovations via its awards programme – the IET Innovation Awards.

Upsolar completes 1.5MW PV project in Greece

Upsolar has announced the completion of a 1.5MW solar electric system in Kozani, capital of the West Macedonia region in Greece. It marks the first installation in the region completed by Upsolar’s Project Development Department.

Canadian Solar donates PV modules to power OrcaLab Whale Research Centre

Solar power company Canadian Solar has announced that its subsidiary Canadian Solar Solutions has donated solar modules to help power the off-grid, world-renowned OrcaLab Whale Research Centre (OrcaLab) on a remote island off the British Columbia coast.

Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds and Fluor reach settlement in turbine foundation quality claim

An agreement has been met between Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Ltd (GGOWL) and Fluor Ltd on all of the outstanding claims relating to the construction of the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm located off the coast of Suffolk, England.

See-through cells have improved efficiency

New Energy Technologies has developed a range of see-through solar cells for generating electricity on glass windows that have faster fabrication time, improved transparency, and increased power conversion efficiency.

SwissINSO launches coloured glass for solar panels

SwissINSO Holding Inc has developed Kromatix, coloured glass designed to improve the aesthetics and overall effectiveness of integrated solar energy panels.

Xcel Energy expands forecast agreement

Xcel Energy has expanded its agreement with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to develop renewable energy forecasting.

Online map of UK hydrogen capabilities Online map of UK hydrogen capabilities

A collaborative British network has launched the first UK Hydrogen Capabilities Online Map. The map showcases the breadth of hydrogen infrastructure and associated activities, and will develop and grow as infrastructure and capability evolves.

Proinso supplies 5MW to PV solar farm in India

PV solar materials supplier Proinso has supplied 5MW to the first PV solar farm on the grid on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory off the coast of Southern India.

Weltec Biopower constructs 1.8MW biogas plant in Finland Weltec Biopower constructs 1.8MW biogas plant in Finland

The German biogas plant construction company is currently building the biogas plant in Jeppo, Finland in a joint project with its Finnish partner, Doranova.

PV modules used for Vermont community

PV specialist ReneSola Ltd has provided solar modules to be used in three community-scale solar power projects in Vermont.

Work begins on largest North American fuel cell

Dominion, one of the US’ largest energy companies, and FuelCell Energy Inc have begun construction of the largest fuel cell power project in North America.

RES portfolio more than 8 gigawatts

The RES Group's global construction portfolio has exceeded 8 gigawatts (8,000 megawatts), with more than 6000 MW located in North America.

European loan for Nepalese hydropower

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has loaned the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal €55 million to build a hydropower plant in the Tanahu District.

South Korean researchers bring polymer solar cells closer to commercialisation

Researchers have demonstrated high-performance polymer solar cells (PSCs) with a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.92% - the highest values reported to date for plasmonic PSCs using metal nanoparticles (NPs).

DOE launches H2USA public-private partnership to deploy hydrogen infrastructure

The US Department of Energy has launched H2USA, a new public-private partnership focused on advancing hydrogen infrastructure to support more transportation energy options for US consumers, including fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Iberdrola completes the geotechnical study for 400MW German offshore wind farm; lands South Africa solar PV project deal

Spanish energy company Iberdrola has completed a geotechnical feasibility study for its Wikinger offshore wind project in German – a key milestone in the ongoing certification and planning process.

Solaria Corp expands into China solar market

Solaria Corporation has begun building power plants in China, in order to meet increasing demand for large-scale solar projects.

Invenergy to test out GE’s Brilliant wind turbine with integrated battery storage Invenergy to test out GE’s Brilliant wind turbine with integrated battery storage

The first order for GE’s new 2.5-120 brilliant wind turbines has been announced - Invenergy has ordered three units as part of an 86-turbine deal with GE for its Mills County, Texas, wind farm.

Hybrid generator cuts off-grid power cost and emissions

Firefly Solar, a solar-powered generators design and manufacture company, has launched its Cygnus Hybrid Power Generator (HPG).

Masdar and GIB form investment alliance

The UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) and Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s state-backed renewable energy company, are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to explore project investment opportunities in the UK’s clean energy sector.