LG Solar short-listed for the international Intersolar Awards 2015

The MonoX NeON 2 with Cello Technology is a major contender for industry award

London, UK – 27 May, 2015

LG Solar, the solar business unit of LG Electronics, has announced its product; the MonoX NeON 2 (NeON 2) with Cello Technology has been short-listed for the Intersolar Awards 2015. Part of Intersolar Europe, these awards bring together the solar industry’s brightest to showcase and recognise innovation.

NeON 2 with Cello Technology: The LG Neon 2 (LG310N1C-G4)

The successor to the MonoX NeON, the NeON 2 adopts Cello Technology. Cello Technology uses 12 thin wires instead of 3 bus bars, to improve the output and increase the reliability of the module. The NeON 2 demonstrates LG’s efforts to increase customer’s values beyond efficiency. It features enhanced warranty, durability, performance under real environment, and aesthetic design suitable for roofs.

With its newly reinforced frame design, LG has extended the warranty of the NeON 2 for an additional two years. As a result of its new design, the NeON 2 can endure a static snow load up to 6000 Pa, and a static wind load up to 5400 Pa. Additionally, the NeON 2 also has an enhanced performance warranty. The annual degradation has fallen from 0.7%/year to 0.6%/year. Even after 25 years, the cell guarantees 2.4% more output than the previous modules.

The NeON 2 has a double-sided cell structure for increased efficiency. Just like the front of the cell, the back of the cell will absorb any light – meaning light reflected from the roof will be absorbed to generate additional power.

“We are extremely pleased that our new flagship module; the NeON 2, has been short-listed for this year’s Intersolar Award. This short-listing demonstrates our leadership within the industry not to mention our commitment to research and development. It is fantastic to see our latest innovations have not gone unnoticed in the highly competitive solar market,’’ explains Michael Harre, vice president of the EU Solar Business Group at LG Electronics Germany. “Cello Technology is one of our latest innovations, providing a leap in performance whilst extending the warranty and improving the design of the NeON 2.’’

Come and see LG and BayWa r.e. at Intersolar, Munich, 10-12 June 2015

PV Statistics Holding On

There were 2,806 sub 50 kW PV installations registered during the week ending 15th December 2013, compared to 2,807 in the week ending 8th December 2013. This takes the total number of sub 50 kW solar PVs registered on the MCS database to just under 495,500.

Total capacity installed during the week ending 15th December 2013 was 10.9 MW compared to 10.5 MW for the week ending 8th December 2013. The overall increase in installed capacity is 0.6% with the level at the end of week ending 8th December 2013 now standing at 1.79GW.

The latest weekly figures are the highest in terms of installed capacity since the tariff reduction on 1st July 2013, and the third highest this calendar year.

Click here to download the full statistics from the DECC website.

SolarEdge Christmas Video

SolarEdge – the world’s leading solar Power Optimizer manufacturers – have just released their annual seasonal video.

For this year’s video, SolarEdge staff and business partners scoured the globe, learned some new dance moves and found many new talents among their worldwide employees.

Click on the image below to “Scream & Shout” with SolarEdge!

Click on the image to view the SolarEdge video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me more about SolarEdge Power Optimizer and Inverter systems.

Solar Frontier breaks efficiency record for CZTS solar cells

Solar Frontier have just announced that it has set a new conversion efficiency record for CZTS solar cells (0.42cm²) at 12.6%. The latest world record was achieved in joint research with IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Tokyo Ohka Kogyo (TOK), and has been independently verified by Newport Corporation. The details have been published in the Advanced Energy Material, journal on Nov 27.

CZTS stands for key ingredients copper, zinc, tin, sulphur and selenium. Inexpensive and with abundant supply, these materials offer CZTS a cost-competitive advantage over other photovoltaic technologies. The new 12.6% world record eclipses the previous record of 11.1%, which was also set by Solar Frontier and its joint-research partners.

“Breaking our previous record at such a fast pace shows the potential of CZTS for mass production in the future, and we are now in a position to drive that efficiency even higher,” said Satoru Kuriyagawa, Chief Technology Officer of Solar Frontier.

Solar Frontier is the world’s largest provider of CIS thin-film photovoltaic solutions. Its Atsugi Research Center in Kanagawa, Japan, has also achieved standing world record conversion efficiencies of 17.8% on a 30cm by 30cm CIS submodule and 19.7% for non-cadmium CIS cell. Solar Frontier’s CIS modules, manufactured in Japan, are offered in commercial volumes at up to 13.8% efficiency, the highest of any mass produced thin-film modules.

Click here to out more about the Solar Frontier Thin Film CIS modules we supply.

BayWa r.e. Complete 60 MWp of Solar PV During November

Last month alone, solar farms with a total of 60 MWp were brought online by BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH (BayWa r.e.).

This will add around 65 million kilowatt hours of solar power per year to the public grid. Of the five farms, two are located in the UK, two in France and one in Germany.

In completing the farms, the company has demonstrated that it is continuing to develop its project business internationally. A further increase in projects abroad is anticipated for 2014. BayWa r.e. already has a number of PV projects in the pipeline.

Other countries where BayWa r.e. is expecting future growth include the USA in particular, as well as Japan and south-east Asia. In these countries, as in Germany, France and the UK, BayWa r.e. endeavours to acquire projects to ensure its continued development.

About BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH:

BayWa r.e. renewable energy GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of BayWa AG, is responsible for the BayWa Group’s renewable energy business. BayWa r.e. was founded in 2009 and is based in Munich. It acts as a holding company for various business interests in the areas of solar energy, wind power, bioenergy and geothermal energy.

BayWa r.e.’s business activities range from project development and realisation to PV trade and consultation services. The company covers the entire spectrum of a professional technical plant support service, including maintenance. It can also undertake the commercial operations management of plants. A further aspect of BayWa r.e.’s business is biomethane trading. The company has an international focus with its core markets in Europe and the USA.

BayWa AG, Munich, is a listed trading company operating on an international platform. Its main business sectors are agriculture, energy and building materials.

Encouraging increase in solar PV statistics

There were 2,772 sub 50 kW PV installations registered during the week ending 8th December 2013, compared to 2,695 in the week ending 1st December 2013. This takes the total number of sub 50 kW solar PVs registered on the MCS database to just over 492,600.

Total capacity installed during the week ending 8th December 2013 was 10.4 MW compared to 9.9 MW for the week ending 1st December 2013. The overall increase in installed capacity is 0.6% with the level at the end of week ending 8th December 2013 now standing at 1.77GW.

The latest weekly figures are the highest in terms of installations registered and capacity since the tariff reduction on 1st July 2013, and the third highest this calendar year.

Click here to download the full statistics from the DECC website.

Solar Britain – it’s happening!

PRASEG, APPGIE and STA Reception and Seminar

12:30 – 16:00 Thursday 12 December 2013

Attlee Suite, House of Commons

Networking lunch – seminar – drinks – meet the industry

In just a few short years, the UK has installed 2.7GW of solar power from nearly half a million solar homes, around 250 solar farms and nearly 2,000 community solar schemes.

Solar thermal is set to take off from around 200,000 units deployed today.

Join the STA (Solar Trade Association), PRASEG (the Parliamentary Renewable and Sustainable Energy Group) and APPGIE (All-Party Intelligent Energy Group) to celebrate the growth of solar power and solar thermal at all scales across the UK.

Meet the industry over drinks to hear how solar is supporting British jobs, green growth, manufacturing and biodiversity.

Hear how solar power is turning the grid on its head and putting power directly into the hands of millions of everyday people and organisations. Discover how solar is set to be the cheapest low-carbon power source before 2020. And find out how we want to work with you to help deliver 1 million solar roofs in 2015!

Buffet lunch. Tea, coffee and wine served all afternoon.

The Solar Britain Seminar from 13.30 – 15:00 will cover all aspects of solar power and solar thermal with top speakers:

(Chair) Peter Aldous MP

Rt Hon Gregory Barker MP, Minister of State, DECC

Julie Elliott MP, Shadow Energy Minister

Jonathon Porritt

Patrick Begg, Director of Rural Enterprises, The National Trust

Paul Barwell, CEO, Solar Trade Association

Juliet Davenport, CEO, Good Energy

MPs and Lords are encouraged to drop in at any point to meet lead developers in the solar industry and to show their support for the STA’s 1 million solar roofs campaign (photo opportunity and press release for local papers).

Please RSVP to Jane Vaus, Co-ordinator, All Party Group for Intelligent Energy: jane.vaus@btinternet.com

 

 

Not the worst news for the PV industry….

The only unexpected thing from our perspective about the news item seen today – ‘Major changes to government renewable energy subsidies’ – was the negative spin that has been put on it!

The FiT and ROC mechanisms in place for solar PV have been set for some time now and these will not be changing in the near future.

We have always known about the new Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism being introduced for large scale PV developments and in June this year we were given a draft figure for developments beyond 2015 of £125 per MWh.

Yes, we had hoped that the element of risk associated with developing large scale projects in the UK would be taken into consideration, however as time has gone by and guidance has been provided from planning authorities and good practice guidelines published from organisations such as the Solar Trade Association that along with improved dialogue with DNO’s, mean that many of these risks have been removed.

So a new set rate of £120 per MWh from 2015/16  is not the nail in the coffin for large scale PV developments that the headlines would suggest, especially if product prices continue to stabilise, guidance is followed and appropriate locations such as capped landfill sites are utilised.

In fact a legally binding set rate rather than unpredictable wholesale price tracking provides the necessary stability needed for investment peace of mind whilst protecting the consumer.

Click here to view the press release on the UK Government website.

Click here to read the full article regarding Strike Prices on the Solar Power Portal website.

Things are looking up!

There were 2,673 sub 50 kW PV installations registered during the week ending 1st December 2013, compared to 2,334 in the week ending 24th November 2013.  This takes the total number of sub 50 kW solar PVs registered on the MCS database to just over 489,800.

Total capacity installed during the week ending 1st December 2013 was 9.8 MW compared to 9.0 MW for the week ending 24th November 2013. The overall increase in installed capacity is 0.6% with the level at the end of week ending  1st December 2013 now standing at 1.76GW.

The latest weekly figures are the highest in terms of installations registered and capacity since the tariff reduction on 1st July 2013.  The higher weekly figure is due to growth in the number of smaller (0-4kW) installations registered.

Click here to download the full statistics from the DECC website.

Slight Increase in FIT Installs

There were 2,278 sub 50 kW PV installations registered during the week ending 24th November 2013, compared to 2,225 in the week ending 17th November 2013.  This takes the total number of sub 50 kW solar PVs registered on the MCS database to just over 487,000.

Total capacity installed during the week ending 24th November 2013 was 8.7 MW compared to 8.6 MW for the week ending 17th November 2013. The overall increase in installed capacity is 0.5% with the level at the end of week ending  24th November 2013 now standing at 1.75GW.

The latest weekly figures are the highest in terms of installations registered and capacity since the tariff reduction on 1st July 2013.

Click here to download the full statistics from the DECC website.

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