In October last year, Hans-Joachim Bender was awarded a German Enterprise Medal (“Wirtschaftsmedaille”) in recognition of his corporate merits and achievements as the managing partner of Robert Bürkle GmbH. The Black Forest plant manufacturer is bucking the recent economic trend by introducing new products and innovations and has aggressively opened up the photovoltaic market as… Read more »
China-based Upsolar is a global company, specialising in the design and manufacture of PV modules. It has always maintained that its strength lies in the development of strict quality control in the manufacturing process, to provide worldwide customers with reliable, excellent products. Here, PES talks to the company’s Jerry Li, Supply Chain & Manufacturing Director…. Read more »
Bottero Group is a global player for the glass industry, with a focus on the design, production and installation of glass technologies and equipment that stretches back over more than 50 years. With the expertise of their 1200 people, seven Research and Development centres in Europe, production facilities in Italy and China, and a service… Read more »
With the acquisition of the solar company STANGL Semiconductor Equipment AG in 2007, a foundation was laid to establish SINGULUS TECHNOLOGIES in the growing photovoltaics market. Numerous new products were developed and made marketable at SINGULUS and STANGL, and as from 2010 SINGULUS will pursue an expansion strategy in the solar segment. In the future… Read more »
A year ago, the future of the PV industry in Greece was looking very bright indeed. After what seemed to be a long time in the mid-table of European renewable energy output, lagging behind the rather less sunny Ireland and Great Britain, it seemed there was a new effort to capture the country’s greatest natural… Read more »
As the world becomes ever more conscious of the need to conserve fossil fuels and move towards greener methods of energy production, the EC’s Joint Research Centre remains at the centre of efforts to spread the word. Here the group gives PES an overview of the current state of play and looks into its crystal… Read more »
The EU was marginalised at Copenhagen. As a consequence, the Copenhagen Accord neither conceptually nor substantively reflected the EU’s original negotiating position. Joseph Curtin of the IIEA believes that this failure must lead to a re-evaluation of its modus operandi in international negotiations if Europe wishes to match its rhetoric of leadership on climate protection… Read more »
PES talks exclusively to Adel El Gammal, Secretary General of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, to hear his views on PV market perspectives and challenges, and how can solar PV become a mainstream energy supplier in Europe by 2020. PES: Welcome. It’s good to have the EPIA back in the magazine again, how has the… Read more »
Just over 60 years ago, on March 26, 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft was founded in the large conference hall of the Bavarian Ministry of the Economy. At the time, the idea was to develop new structures for research after the war’s destruction, and to spur reconstruction of the economy. Today, the globally-respected institute analyses current macro… Read more »
Grid parity for solar power – competitiveness with electricity prices – has for some years been known as the ‘Holy Grail’ of the PV industry, with many speculating on when and where it is likely to be achieved. PES investigates. Obviously, much depends on the amount of sunshine in the skies above. The west coast… Read more »
California-based Paula Mints is widely recognised as one of the foremost experts in the PV industry. For many years she has provided clients with objective, comprehensive industry analysis based on extensive primary research, including her forward-looking understanding of market and technology trends. Her strong background in primary research qualifies her to provide insight into the… Read more »
The quest for grid parity has been a long one, but it seems as if the new solar dawn is finally arriving in many European nations. But then, it all depends who you ask… “Basically everything (in the industry) is bound to grow still further. Growing further means less cost. Less cost means grid parity…. Read more »
With cost cutting in mind, the photovoltaics industry increasingly relies on automation, expecting it to bring about sustained high product quality and increased productivity. PES explains all. Industrial robots feed and discharge solar cell production lines and sort the finished components by pick-and-place processes. They handle glass panes, cut films and foils and assemble frames… Read more »
PES takes a look at three state-of the-art modes of transport which could help facilitate an energy-efficient future and help conserve the increasingly limited natural resources of the planet. SkiesSome 110 years after the much-celebrated Wright Brothers designed and flew their first aircraft, the age of solar fight has finally arrived. The ghosts of Wilbur… Read more »
The UK and European renewable energy sector is currently undergoing a radical transformation, spearheaded by the increasing demand for a secure source of clean, home grown energy. Driven by strong government incentives and advancements in technology, the sector has matured over recent years and the barriers to entry for new investors are receding. In particular,… Read more »
Adam Grainger, Global Head of Energy and Engineering, Networkers International plc The renewable energy industry is growing rapidly as are the number of people employed within it. In order to give your business a competitive edge, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure you have appropriately skilled and motivated individuals within your organisation to compete… Read more »
Supporting today’s publication “RE-thinking 2050 – A 100% Renewable Energy Vision for the European Union”, by the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), said: “EWEA fully supports EREC’s vision of Europe moving towards 100% renewable energy by 2050. We have abundant wind, sun and other… Read more »
BrightView Systems, a leading provider of in-line metrology-based process control and optimization tools for thin-film solar cell manufacturing, hosted the Prime Minister Mathias Platzeck of Brandenburg, the Minister of Economic and European Affairs Ralf Christoffers, Klaus-Dieter Licht of ILB (State Investment Bank), and Hinrich Soehlke Director from the Brandenburg Economic Development Board at their facilities in Israel. Germany capital region,… Read more »
Dow Jones & Company plans to construct a large-scale solar-power installation to generate clean energy for its corporate offices in central New Jersey. At 4.1 megawatts, the system is expected to be one of the largest installations for solar power at a single commercial site in the U.S. “Investing in solar power confirms our commitment… Read more »
Wind Works Power Corp. is pleased to announce that from the first contracts offered through the Ontario Power Authority’s (OPA) Feed-in-Tariff program, we have been notified that we will be offered 7 power purchase agreements for a total of 80 megawatts (MW), for the following projects: Ganaraska: 20 MW Settlers Landing: 10 MW Snowy Ridge:… Read more »
A solar refrigeration container is one of the particular highlights presented at Phaesun GmbH’s fair booth. It has been designed by ILK Dresden for the use in hospitals, medical supply depots and food storage centres in regions with insecure, or unavailable energy supply. The system has a modular structure, including integrated solar modules with a… Read more »
The Spanish company PROINSO- specialized in the distribution of modules, inverters, trackers and fixed structures for photovoltaic systems, has been awarded the supply of various solar photovoltaic farms in Greece that will all together amount to more than 7.54 MW of installed capacity. The agreements include the supply of 2.65 MW of 2-axis trackers from… Read more »
The French subsidiary of the Swiss manufacturer of inverters for photovoltaic systems Sputnik Engineering AG is moving today from Paris to Saint Priest near Lyon . “In the south-east of France there are the largest number of solar plants, especially in the Rhône-Alpes region. Lyon has also become a magnet for the solar industry. Roughly… Read more »
Singapore based Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of TecDAX listed Phoenix Solar AG, Germany, has completed Singapore’s largest photovoltaic plant built with thin-film modules with a peak output of 380 kilowatts (kWp) on the new company building of Applied Materials Inc. in Singapore. The thin-film modules used in construction are the world’s largest, with a surface area of 5.7… Read more »
NextEra Energy Resources, the competitive energy subsidiary of FPL Group, Inc., remained the nation’s largest owner of wind farms at the end of 2009, according to the Annual Wind Industry Report released today by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). NextEra Energy Resources ended 2009 with more than 7,500 megawatts of installed wind capacity in… Read more »
In the hot desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia, finding fresh drinking water has always been a great challenge. For decades now, the state has been providing clean water by converting millions of gallons of seawater via desalination plants that remove salts and minerals from the water. Now the country plans to use one of its… Read more »
Ontario announced 184 contracts for green energy projects on Thursday that it says will lead to thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment in Canada’s most populous province and top energy consumer. When completed, the solar, wind, water and biofuel projects will power 600,000 homes, generating more than 2,500 megawatts of electricity, the… Read more »
Merck KGaA and Plastic Logic GmbH today announced plans to jointly develop, test and commercialize Merck’s new organic semiconductors in Plastic Logic’s displays. The production and launch of these new materials are planned for 2011. Merck recently invested in the expansion of the Chilworth Technical Centre, its chemicals research site in Southampton, UK, by adding… Read more »
For the first time, Merck KGaA will be presenting its photovoltaics product portfolio under the heading “Working with SunshineTM” at PHOTON’s 6th Photovoltaic Technology Show 2010 Europe (Stuttgart, April 27-29). The main focus of Merck’s presentation will be the eco-friendly isishape® range of printable etching pastes. These highly efficient products are designed for smart and… Read more »
Global wind energy markets are expected to continue their rapid growth, with the world’s wind power capacity increasing by 160% over the coming five years, according to the annual industry forecast presented by the Global Wind Energy Council today. GWEC expects that the global installed wind capacity will reach 409 GW by 2014, up from… Read more »
As a leading global supplier of high quality solar cells, Ningbo Solar has reinforced its commitment to driving business growth with the purchase of a further 50MW worth of photovoltaic metallization lines from DEK Solar. The announcement comes just months after Ningbo Solar’s purchase of eight metallization lines from the mass imaging leader. Following an… Read more »
The Telemar Group through its German subsidiary Telemar GmbH is to provide broadband satellite communication for the entire Rickmers fleet. The Rickmers Group, operating a fleet of 102 vessels, is a diversified group with activities in the business fields of ship owning and ship management, liner shipping, investment and real estate as well as maritime… Read more »
A struggle for dominance in the fast-growing electric-vehicle charging business is pitting some of China’s biggest state-owned companies, as a domestic “new energy” movement — from battery-making to wind power — gathers steam. One battle is being played out in Shenzhen, where China National Offshore Oil Corp. (Cnooc) and Putian Group have teamed up to… Read more »
Advanced processes for the drying and firing of solar cell metallization will be center stage at Rehm Thermal Systems’ booth at the SNEC International Photovoltaic Power Generation conference and Exhibition in Shanghai May 5-7. Key members of the Rehm team will be on hand at Booth 5021/2 and will explain to visitors ways in which… Read more »
Siemens Energy announced Wednesday that it has been contracted to supply 43 wind turbines for a clean energy project near Thunder Bay, Ont. Siemens said the turbines will be delivered to Montreal-based Renewable Energy Systems Canada Inc., which also purchased 43 turbines last fall for a project near Chatham, Ont. Financial terms of the deal… Read more »
BlueChip EnergyTM, a provider of complete solar power solutions for residential, commercial, government and utility applications, today announced a power purchase agreement (PPA) to supply Progress Energy Florida with renewable solar photovoltaic (PV) power from the Rinehart Solar Farm, a 10 MW utility-scale solar PV facility the company is developing in Central Florida. The Rinehart… Read more »