Driven by the growing number of energy-efficiency standards in states around the U.S., ratepayer budgets for efficiency programs climbed to record levels in 2011, to $6.8 billion. That’s a 25% increase over 2010 investments, putting the country on track to invest roughly $12 billion by 2020 […]
If you’re in the solar industry, or care much about it, I’m sure you’ve heard of the “solar trade war”/solar industry trade dispute going on right now. Basically, a handful of solar manufacturing companies from the U.S. and Germany (led by SolarWorld) contend that china is dumping its solar goods … [continued]
China’s solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers aren’t waiting around for US decisions on China improperly subsidizing the industry and claims that Chinese manufacturers are dumping product in the US; they’re shifting investments overseas. China’s TFG Radiant Group announced it’s increasing its equity stake in Colorado flexible thin-film solar PV manufacturer Ascent Solar, while LDK Solar announced its increasing its stake and launching a public takeover offer for all the shares of German silicon solar PV producer Sunways AG.
The British Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) released new numbers late last week showing that companies have invested £2.5 billion ($3.9 billion) into renewable energy projects across the United Kingdom so far this financial year, an investment which has the potential to create almost 12,000 jobs across the … [continued]
Trade frictions between China and the US continue to intensify as a group of four US wind tower manufacturers filed a complaint with the US Commerce Dept. and International Trade Commission that calls on them to investigate the group’s claim that their Chinese competitors, operating in both China and Vietnam, are benefiting from a raft of improper government subsidies that enable them to engage in predatory pricing here in the US.
OK, I’m doing my top 10 list now. Following up on AWEA’s top 10 wind energy stories and SEIA’s top 10 solar energy stories, I decided I may as well give my own opinion on the top 10 clean energy stories and energy efficiency stories of 2011 (plus one … [continued]
Germany’s solar power output surged 60% in 2011 and renewable energy overall rose to account for just shy of 20% of national electricity production. While German solar power industry participants are facing stiff challenges – substantial solar feed-in tariff cuts will be coming into effect in 2012 and a global glut of solar PV modules is putting serious pressure on margins – other factors support a fundamentally sound outlook for the sector in 2012 and beyond.
As indicated in the previous post by the American Wind Energy Association (Top 10 Wind Energy Stories of 2011), below the picture are 5 wind energy trends the association recommends we watch out for. I’ll just add that I think there will be more and more media attention on … [continued]
As the leading organization of the U.S. solar energy industry has done, the folks most in the know when it comes to U.S. wind energy, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), have put together a great end-of-the-year wrap-up of the top 10 wind energy stories of 2011. Rather than … [continued]
Vienna-based integrated solar PV power company Activ Solar capped an excellent 2011 with the completion and commissioning of the 100-plus MW Perovo Solar Power Station in Ukraine’s Crimea. Perovo is one of three large-scale solar PV projects Activ completed in the emerging markets of Eastern and Central Europe this year.
