Renewable Energy Focus News - 9 May 2012
Editor's Choice
Duke Energy buys Arizona solar farm from SOLON Duke Energy Renewables has acquired the 10 MW Black Mountain Solar Project near Kingman, Arizona, USA, from SOLON Corporation for an undisclosed sum. More 3D solar cell prototype underway in California Solar3D Inc is currently producing a proof-of-concept prototype of its 3-dimensional (3D) solar photovoltaic (PV) cell technology at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Nanofabrication Facility. More Overcapacity and new players keep wind turbine prices down Contracts signed for wind turbines in the second half of 2011 for delivery in 2013 fell 4% to €0.91 million/MW from 6 months earlier, with overcapacity and new players keeping prices for utility-scale wind turbines down, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Wind Turbine Price Index (WTPI). More HCPV solar among top emerging technologies Semprius Inc's high concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar modules have been named among MIT Technology Review's top 10 emerging technologies for 2012. More ACCIONA installs AW-3000/116, 3 MW wind turbines in North America ACCIONA Windpower is installing two of its AW-3000/116, 3 MW wind turbines at Pioneer Grove in Cedar County, Iowa, USA, marking the first installation of the turbines in North America. More First Wind starts construction of 105 MW wind farm in Washington First Wind has started construction of its first wind project in Washington state - the 105 MW Palouse Wind farm in northern Whitman County. More CSP market to double by 2020 The market for concentrating solar power (CSP) is set to more than double by 2020 despite the current lull, according to analyst Pike Research. More 3M and Gossamer Space Frames unveil large parabolic trough 3M’s Renewable Energy Division and Gossamer Space Frames have launched a parabolic trough solar collector with a concentration factor of over 100x and an aperture size of 7.3 m, said to reduce equipment and installation costs for concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. More First Solar hit by lower prices and restructuring cost – new CEO First Solar fell into loss of US$ 449.4 million in the first quarter (Q1) of 2012, compared with a net profit of US$116m in the same period last year, as the company was hit by low prices for solar and restructuring costs. More Global Solar Council formed Representatives of international solar photovoltaic (PV) companies have formed the Global Solar Council – a CEO-level industry coalition to “expand the global deployment of solar energy in a sustainable and cost-competitive way”. More Gamesa halts U.S. offshore wind prototype installation The company blames the U.S. market and regulatory conditions for postponing installation of the offshore prototype near Cape Charles, Va. - which the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) approved earlier this year. More ReliOn collaborating with Hy9 on methanol fuel processor for fuel cell products ReliOn and Hy9 are collaborating on the development of an integrated fuel processor for fuel cell products. The programme will combine ReliOn strengths in hydrogen fuel cell technology and product engineering with Hy9 expertise in reforming and hydrogen purification systems. More GE to supply 95MW to Polish utility scale wind projects 38 of GE's 2.5 MW wind turbines will be used for projects in northern Poland, and the company will also build a service centre to provide long-term local support. More Janneby wind testing site ready to open It will reportedly be the only independent wind turbine testing site in the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. More Desalination: new frontier for renewable energy? (part 1) Water systems around the world are under increasing pressure due to demands from continued industrialisation and urbanisation; growing populations; and increasing pressure on agricultural systems. This is driving the early stages of a revolution in the technologies and business models used in the water industry. Desalination is already part of this mix, but could the technologies' high demand for energy open up a new market for renewable energy technologies? More Desalination: new frontier for renewable energy? (part 2) Research over the past two years – undertaken by CambridgeIP – has shown steady progress in making desalination technologies more energy efficient, as well as increasing the maturity of direct integration technologies. More
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