pv

What's ahead for the U.S. solar market? (video)

At a conference this week in San Francisco, executives from the clean-tech industry got together to talk about the state of the photovoltaic market in the United States and what they expect in the future.

The good news? The U.S. isn't Spain. The executives said the market's explosive growth in Spain in recent years was like a huge party, but then came the hangover. In the U.S., they're expecting measured growth, something much more sustainable. Check out more from the panel at the the Greentech Media U.S. Solar Market Insight conference.

This video first … Read more

PV solar installations up on utility-scale projects

Second-quarter U.S. installations of photovoltaic solar panels rose 17 percent from the previous quarter as increases in non-residential and utility-scale projects offset a weakened residential solar market.

Installations were also up 69 percent from the same period the previous year at 314 megawatts, according to a report released today by industry trade group the Solar Energy Industries Association and research firm GTM Research.

Installations are poised to double this year, though SEIA said it revised its outlook for the residential and utility segments while raising its non-residential market forecast.

"We have to step back and remember that we are in some dire economic times, and to see 17 percent quarter-over-quarter growth and 69 percent year-over-year growth is really quite astounding," said Tom Kimbis, vice president for strategy and external affairs at SEIA.

Solar module prices fell 12 percent in the United States during the quarter--bringing the decline for the year to about 30 percent, the report said, adding that without that decline, U.S. installations may have been flat this year.

"We're benefiting from competition. It's driving some companies out of business, but on the other hand it's a real boon for homeowners and small businesses who want to install solar," Kimbis said. … Read more

Solar power plant switches to PV from thermal

Developers of the giant Blythe Solar Power Project in California have switched from solar thermal technology to photovoltaic solar panels, one of a string of similar changes at large-scale solar projects.

Solar Millennium today said that the first 500-megawatt phase of the Blythe plant will use photovoltaic (PV) panels because the economics work better.

The company earlier this year had received a conditional loan guarantee from the Department of Energy to develop a concentrating solar thermal plant, where heat from mirrored troughs makes steam that is passed through a turbine to generate electricity. But Germany-based Solar Millennium and its U.… Read more

Solon shutters U.S. solar panel plant amid shakeout

Solar manufacturer Solon said yesterday it will close a solar panel factory in Arizona in response to intense global competition on prices.

The Germany-based company said it will phase out a Tucson panel facility by October, cutting 60 jobs in the process. Instead, Solon will focus its product development efforts on designing and building large-scale solar installations using panels from different makers.

"We regret the near-term impact of this business decision on our employees and the Tucson community, but as a company Solon is adapting to a rapidly changing solar market," Dan Alcombright, CEO of Solon North America, … Read more

Falling solar costs: Good for buyers, bad for makers

There's a paradox in the global solar industry: When manufacturers are suffering, things are looking up for consumers.

Lux Research yesterday released its latest industry analysis which projects fast growth in the amount of solar power installed, at 15.5 percent per year, but flat revenue until 2016. Reflecting the same dynamic of falling product prices, a report from Navigant Consulting yesterday found that the price of solar modules, or solar electric panels, is down almost 20 percent so far this year.

The reports put numbers on the brutal price competition among makers of solar photovoltaic panels where global … Read more

Free Amazon app of the day, June 21

You bought it from the games marketplace on the Xbox 360. You've played the demos and flash versions of it on the PC. Now, you can it get for free on your Android smartphone or tablet. The last of three PopCap exclusives to be released in Amazon's Appstore for Android is none other than Peggle, and it's the free app of the day.

A couple of things before downloading: As with all three PopCap exclusives, Peggle is a Wi-Fi-only download and the file size is approximately 75MB. Once installed, just move it over to your phone's SD card, and the internal file size gets considerably smaller (just mere kilobytes).

Some of what you can look forward to are: 55 standard levels and 75 grand master challenges; Adventure, Quick Play, Challenge, and Duel modes; the ability to replay your memorable moments; and new tricks, like Off the Wall, Double Long Shot, and Extreme Slides, earn you more bonus points.

Suffice it to say that it will work on the majority of Android phones to date. The app is supposedly not optimized for tablets--pixelation may occur--but if you have one, try anyway. It's free!

If you find yourself having a problem with downloading the game directly through your smartphone or tablet, here is a workaround:

Go to Amazon's site and log in to your account. Hover to Amazon for Android tab on the sidebar to the left. Click Apps. Click on the image of the app of the day (which takes you to the page) and on the right side you'll see a Get now with one-click button. It may warn that you're buying an app that may be incompatible with your device. Just click OK (and buy). It'll start to download in your account on the PC. Once it's done downloading, you can then install through the Amazon Appstore on your phone.… Read more

This Day in Tech: Google advances voice and image search

Too busy to keep up with today's tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Tuesday, June 14.

Google announces host of search improvements Google unveils several search improvements to both its Web-based and mobile search services at the Inside Search event in San Francisco. More

Cable fights to stay relevant Executives from cable operators and video programmers say they plan to stay relevant by offering more content on more devices. But can they work out the business issues to get it done? More

Duke Nukem Forever (finally) available in the U.S. The … Read more

Free Amazon App of the Day--5/31/11

You've been waiting for it for a long time. We told you it was coming. It's been available on the iPhone forever. Well, it's finally here. The second of three PopCap exclusives to be released on Amazon's Appstore for Android is none other than Plants vs. Zombies, and it's the free app of the day.

Frankly, there's really no need to tell you how the game works (I think we've all played it at least once), but I will tell you a few things before downloading. First, as with all three PopCap exclusives, Plants vs. Zombies is a Wi-Fi-only download. Second, the file size is approximately 75MB.

Lastly, despite the small number of Android phones in the compatibility list on Amazon's site, we can verify that it also works on the HTC Thunderbolt, HTC Droid Incredible, and the HTC EVO (which are not listed).

Suffice it to say that it will work on the majority of Android phones to date. The app is supposedly not optimized for tablets--pixelation may occur--but if you have one, screw it; try anyway. … Read more

Italy has largest PV solar farm in Europe

As of November, the Italian city of Rovigo is home to the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar plant in Europe, SunEdison announced today.

SunEdison, a subsidiary of the silicon wafer manufacturer MEMC Electronic Materials, is right, but even it admits the claim comes with a qualifier by calling the 70-megawatt plant "Europe's largest single site solar farm."

For there are many large-scale solar projects both in existence and under way in Europe involving more megawatts, but very often those announcements of super-megawatt projects are really a series of smaller, interconnected PV farms spread out over a region.

Brandenburg, … Read more