News and Events
April - June 2012

News

May 11, 2012

Masdar receives €12.9 million of aid from European Commission

The European Commission has authorised €12.9 million state aid for Masdar for an investment worth around €120 million for a second solar module production line next to Masdar's existing plant.

May 14, 2012

Solar photovoltaic (PV) demand during 2H’12 will see increasing contributions from emerging markets in North America and Asia Pacific, with 60% of PV demand coming from these non-European regions according to new research featured in the NPD Solarbuzz PV Market Quarterly reports.

This represents an important change for the PV industry, indicative of longer-term trends in which the share of global PV demand stimulated by European countries will decline. While 50% of global demand during 2H’11 came from Germany and Italy, 54% of demand in the final quarter of 2012 is forecast to come from China, India, Japan and the US.

According to Wolfgang Schlichting, Research Director for downstream PV markets at NPD Solarbuzz, “The expansion in global PV end-markets during 2H’12 requires new sales and marketing approaches to exploit the significant revenue opportunities in North America and Asia Pacific. Understanding the changing PV landscape across utility, ground-mount and leasing projects forces a shift in corporate strategies to more diversified downstream business operations.”

May 17, 2012

A majority of U.S. solar panel installers oppose tariffs on Chinese panels, arguing that less expensive imports have helped make solar panels more affordable for U.S. customers.

In 2011, imports of solar cells from China into the US were valued at $3.1bn (£1.96bn)

May 24, 2012

Photovoltaic Grid Parity Expected By 2017 In U.S., China

The cost of energy generation from clean sources such as solar power is edging ever closer to costs attributed to traditional sources, fostering growth in the renewable energy sector, according to a new report from GlobalData.

The report shows that the global cumulative installed solar PV capacity increase of 100% demonstrated during 2009-2011 is likely to grow even further, as mass power consumers China and the U.S. reach grid parity within the next few years.

May 28, 2012

Germany breaks world record for solar power generation with 22GW

On May 26, Germany produced 22GW of electricity per hour, meeting nearly 50% of the country’s midday electricity needs.

With highs of 23ºC and cloudless skies on May 26, Germany produced 22GW of electricity, meeting nearly 50% of the country’s midday electricity needs. The Renewable Energy Industry (IWR) estimated this equaled the amount of power generated by 20 nuclear power plants.

Director of IWR, Norbert Allnoch, said, "Currently there is no other country on earth, with solar power plants producing a capacity of over 20,000MW of electricity. Germany came close to the 20GW mark a few times in recent weeks, but this was the first time we made it over."  ...more

June 1, 2012

GCL-Poly teams with State-owned Phono Solar to develop PV Power plants in China

Having recently teamed with Suntech, state-owned firm Phono Solar has signed a new agreement with GCL-Poly to build PV power plants in China. GCL-Poly already has plans to move downstream, having partnered with Winsun New Energy and Shunfeng Photovoltaic for projects in both China and Europe.

“These are hard times in the market and we need to pull through together. The PV market is large enough to allow for cooperation,” noted Cai Jibo, president of Phono Solar. “In this current climate even the largest companies should look beyond traditional business practice and move towards a position of cooperation above competition. Partnerships which aim to share industrial resources will mutually benefit manufacturers and play a positive role in promoting the sustainable and healthy development of the renewable energy industry in China.”

June 04, 2012

The quarterly SEIA/GTM Research U.S. Solar Market Insight™ report is a complete account of trends in the U.S. photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP) markets. Each quarter, SEIA and GTM Research provide the most valuable current information on the U.S. solar market.

U.S. Solar Market Insight details trends nationally and in the top 20 state markets, including demand, average system costs, component costs, and manufacturing production. All of this data culminates in five-year demand projections by technology, by market segment and by state. For more info about the Insight, please click on picture in the below:

For more about factsheet of solar industry in the USA, please click on here;

For more about "Behind the Solyndra Headlines", please click on here.

June 07, 2012

Suntech proposes 100MW of solar projects in Pakistan

June 11, 2012

The winner of the Australian Solar Flagship Program is a 159MW PV project in NSW (New South Wales) developed by AGL and First Solar, the Australian Solar Industry has announced.

Big Solar is ready to compete with dirty power on price alone. This same dramatic reduction in the cost of solar PV means the Australian Government can now deliver this159MW project for $129.7 million, more than half the funding previously budgeted for the former BP Solar project in Moree," John Grimes further stated. "Big Solar is on a roll in Australia. In addition to the 159MW project in NSW, we will also see 210MW in the ACT and a 10MW First Solar plant in WA (Western Australia), and that is just the beginning.

AuSES explained that when it comes to cost, solar power is able to compete with traditional fuels and it is a 'rational economic choice.'

June 15, 2012

Intersolar EU: Chinese Aikosolar acquires Scheuten Solar

Conergy and Ensunt build 50MW PV plant in Pakistan

Recurrent Energy sells 100MW of Canadian PV Projects 

Events

May 20, 2012

Forum on Green Investment Opportunities was hoted by Green Life Weekly, Canada Green Developments Group Inc. and Canada China Environmental Cooperation Council in Markham Ontario Canada on May 20, 2012.

Mr. Sam Qin, Executive Director of Cenith Energy Corporation, CEO of Future Solar Developments Inc. was invited to give key speech to attendees from Canada, USA, and China about solar power investment opportunities and risks in Canada and USA.

Below are some pictures from the forum:

Right, Mr. David W. Tarrant, CEO, LightSpeed Environmental: Is Electric Vehicle the Future of Green Transportation.

Right, Mr. Jeff Leung, President of JET Architects: Green Real Estate Investment Opportunities 

Left, Dr. You Zhi Tang, President of Canada Clean Tech Capital

May 28, 2012

The honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario Canada and Vice Governor of the Province of Jiangsu China signed MOU about cooperation in fields of environmental protection, clean tech, and education between the two great and sister provinces.

Below are some pictures from the site at Intercontinental Toronto Centre Hotel

The Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, Canada was making a speech at the signing ceremony

"The economy scale of the Province of Jiangsu China increased by 10% in GDP in 2011, Ontario 2%, can your Jiangsu borrow 3% to Ontario?", the Premier asked.

Dr. Fu Ziying, Vice Governor of the Province of Jiangsu China was making a speech at the signing ceremony

"Jiangsu has a population of over 87 million, what I would like to suggest is to export ice wine for the people in Jiangsu, so that ice wine manufacturers in Ontario will be very busy to produce.", replied by the Vice Governor

Ms. Joyce Li, (left), Marketing Director of Future Solar Developments Inc. and the Honourable Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario at the signing ceremony

Ms. Joyce Li, (left), Marketing Director of Future Solar Developments Inc. and Dr. Fu Ziying, Vice Governor of the Province of Jiangsu China at the signing ceremony.

May 30, 2012

Joyce Li, (right), Marketing Director of Future Solar Developments Inc. met with Mr. Charles Sousa, Ontario's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and his officers tonight to help support his re-election as MPP Candidate for Mississauga South: