Thin-film PV modules. Photo Credit: Hevel Solar

Andrei Tsygulev told local reporters that the power station will generate almost twice as much power as the 2.7 to 3.5MW needed, and that the remainder of the power will be sold to other areas in the region. Tsygulev is the deputy head of the Kosh-Agach district for construction and architecture.

Russian president Vladimir Putin attended the grand opening. He says the plant will provide a large amount of employment and give the production sector an opportunity to get a market.

The plant is the first of five PV facilities planned to be opened by 2019 at a total cost of RUB5 billion. It was initiated by Hevel Solar, which is located in Moscow, and was founded in 2009 to develop clean solar energy in Russia.

The predecessor to the covenant record holder title is a plant in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan that was opened in 2013 and has an output of 2MW.

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The solar power plant in Alt Daber near Wittstock was constructed on the site of a former Soviet airforce base. The decentral power plant covers an area equivalent to over 162 football pitches and provides up to 19,000 four-person households with solar power. Photo Credit: Belectric

1. Wind Energy Growth Near North Sea

Driven by high winds in the area, the North Sea has become a popular destination for wind turbines. Many of these turbines stand hundreds of feet into the air and tower over the sea below. Placed in an intelligent grid, these wind turbines have become very common at wind farms located in northern Germany. In the coming years, these wind farms will only continue to grow as Germany aims to power its entire nation with renewable technology. This power will be used for everything from factories to individual homes. In the process of implementing this plan, the country will continue to advance its expertise in the renewable energy markets.

2. Demand Driven by Foreign Companies

Since Germany has become a specialized hub of renewable energy technology, companies from around the world have sought its expertise. This is especially true in the Chinese markets, where manufacturers have been increasingly interested in solar technology. Thanks to Germany’s advances in recent years, clean energy costs around the world are projected to fall. This will likely lead to more widespread adoption of solar and wind technologies in Europe and abroad. With the nation’s expertise already in place, it will continue to be a strong player in the renewable energy markets for years to come.

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Many schools are using solar energy to cut down on their utility bills. This is excellent news for teachers, many of whom can finally begin to be paid at the level they truly deserve for all of their hard work, long hours, and unending dedication. Solar energy is truly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the realm of education.

A SolarCity installation in San Rafael, CA. Credit: SolarCity

The Recent Brighter Future Report

A recently published report, known as Brighter Future: A Study On Solar In U.S. Schools, has publicized some fascinating facts and statistics which are well worth getting to know. Some of the key findings which the study has uncovered are as follows:

• Over 450 school districts in the United States could instantly save more than a million dollars each over the next 30 years by installing a solar energy system.
• Out of the total of 125,000 schools that currently operate in the United States, between 40,000 and 70,000 could adopt solar energy without spending hardly anything on the conversion.
• There are already over 3,700 schools in the United States that possess solar installations.
• The solar PV systems that already exist at American schools combine for a staggering total of 490 megawatts. Between all of them, they generate an amazing 642,000 megawatt hours of electricity in a years’ time.
• All of the energy produced in schools by solar energy amounts to $77.8 billion in normal utility bills. This amount of money could do a revolutionary amount of good if spent elsewhere.

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The $5 million project was developed by building materials firm BlueScope with support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The system includes thin-film solar panels which are set on steel roofing sheets to generate electricity.

This building-integrated photovoltaic-thermal (BIPV-T) system, on an inner-city home in Sydney, also has a thermal duct system warms and cools air to supplement air conditioning.

“Today we are witnessing an exciting new technology solution moving from the lab to be prototyped on everyday Australian rooftops for the first time,” said ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht.

Credit: ARENA

“This new integrated PV system has been designed to provide a low cost system for Australian residential, commercial and industrial rooftops,” he said. “It has the potential to reduce installation and energy costs as well as reduce peak energy demands placed on the grid.”

The system replaces the home’s original corrugated steel roof, and has also been installed in another part of the country, replacing a tile roof.

“These first installations are an important step as the technology moves towards commercialisation and cost competitiveness with conventional rooftop PV,” added Frischknecht.

The system is made to not only replace existing roofs, but also can be used for new residential, commercial and industrial buildings.

“The roofing systems have been specifically designed for Australia’s climate and buildings, to ensure effectiveness and reliability, “ said Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry, Bob Baldwin.

Other cost-saving measures – aimed to make such systems attractive from a price perspective – include reduced packaging and transport, improved building energy efficiency and easy, low-cost installation.

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The ATMs use the same amount of energy as a conventional light bulb, and can operate without air conditioning is heat up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Vortex’s solar-powered ATMs emit at least 18,500 kg of CO2 each year, when compared to conventional ATMs.

“Our ATM is a customized solution to rural India’s unique problems where power is scarce, accessibility is poor, crisp notes are rare and the language and dialects vary. Yet, it a product that is scalable across geographies,” Kannan Lakshminarayan, co-founder and chief technology officer at Vortex Engineering, told CNBC.

“I have always been motivated by the social impact of work on society. Local problems need local solutions. When you import solutions, you can at best be only second rate,” says Lakshminarayan.

Credit: Vortex Engineering

In addition to being powered on solar energy, the ATMs have a simplified, energy efficient design with fewer parts that could require repair.

Next year, Vortex Engineering will supply at least 5,000 ATMs across the country. At the moment there are about 150,000 ATMs in India – a country with a population of 1.2 billion.

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“This will be the largest solar array in the department of defense on a military installation,” said Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment.

The installation is expected to provide about 25 percent of the electricity required at Fort Huachuca each year. Construction will start on April 25, with the solar panels expected to go live in late 2014.

Credit: U.S. Army

“Energy is an installation priority,” said Maj. Gen. Robert Ashley, Fort Huachuca commanding general.

“The project goes beyond the megawatts produced. It reflects our continued commitment to southern Arizona and energy security,” he said. “The project will provide reliable access to electricity for daily operations and missions moving forward.”

The solar project will be owned, funded, operated and maintained by Tucson Electric Power and E.ON will work on the design, engineering, procurement and construction.

“The project establishes a new path for an innovative partnering opportunity among the U.S. Army, other federal agencies, private industry and the utility provider,” added deputy assistant secretary of the Army for energy and sustainability Richard Kidd.

This solar installation will add to the U.S. Army’s goal of using 1 GW of renewable energy by the year 2025.

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The researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have developed solar cells from a material called Perovskite. These cells don’t just convert sunlight to electricity, but also have the capacity to emit light.

Such a material could be used to make cell phone or tablet screens that can be recharged simply by exposing them to sunlight.

“What we have discovered is that because it is a high quality material, and very durable under light exposure, it can capture light particles and convert them to electricity, or vice versa,” said Assistant Professor Sum Tse Chien, a Singaporean scientist at NTU’s School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (SPMS).

Credit: Nanyang Technological University

“By tuning the composition of the material, we can make it emit a wide range of colours, which also makes it suitable as a light emitting device, such as flat screen displays.”

The discovery was made when Assistant Professor Sum asked his postdoctoral researcher to shine a laser on the new Perovskite solar cell material they have been working on – and the solar cell glowed!

“What we have now is a solar cell material that can be made semi-translucent. It can be used as tinted glass to replace current windows, yet it is able to generate electricity from sunlight,” said Assistant Professor Nripan Mathews, another of the researchers responsible for this discovery.

“The fact that it can also emit light makes it useful as light decorations or displays for the facades of shopping malls and offices,” said Dr Mathews.

Thanks to an easy manufacturing process, this Perskovite material is five times less expensive than current Silicon-based solar cells.

“Such a versatile yet low-cost material would be a boon for green buildings. Since we are already working on the scaling up of these materials for large-scale solar cells, it is pretty straightforward to modify the procedures to fabricate light emitting devices as well. More significantly, the ability of this material to lase, has implications for on-chip electronic devices that source, detect and control light,” he added.

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After 12 years of work, Swiss duo Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg are one step closer to their revolutionary flight, set for 2015.

Solar Impulse 2 has been developed from learnings of Solar Impulse 1, the first aircraft ever to fly at night using solar power. The single-seater plane will use no fuel for the journey, which will take five days and nights. It has a wingspan of 236 ft and a weight of just 5000 pounds.

The plane has 17,000 solar cells built into the wings, powering four electric motors (17.5 CV each). During the day, solar cells charge lithium batteries weighing 2077 lbs to allow flight at night.

Credit: Solar Impulse

“A vision counts for nothing unless it is backed up by action. With 8 world records for Solar Impulse 1, the first solar aircraft capable of flying during the night, crossing two continents and flying over the United States, we have shown that clean technologies and renewable energies can accomplish the impossible,” said Bertrand Piccard, founder and Chairman of Solar Impulse.

“Now we need to go even further,” added André Borschberg, co-founder and CEO. “Solar Impulse 2 will have virtually unlimited autonomy, and now we need to make sure the pilot is as sustainable as his aircraft. This is why the round-the-world flight will be as much a human as a technological feat.”

The plane will begin test flights in May, and the round the world trip is due for March 2015. During the journey, Solar Impulse 2 will land every few days to change pilots and hold events to spread the word about solar to people around the world.

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The Consortium was launched at the recent National Science Teachers Association Conference, held in Boston. The group’s goals for the year 2020 include:

• 20,000 solar installations at schools and universities.

• 200 school districts with solar schools initiatives.

• 2,000 member organizations

“It’s estimated that thousands of schools across America have already installed solar panels – but tens of thousands of others are still tethered to fossil fuels,” said Prof. Sharon Dannels, Chair of the Educational Leadership Department at the GW Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

“According to a recent study of California schools, an average-sized 313-kilowatt solar system prevents the emission of an estimated 200 pounds of smog-forming pollution a year,” she added.

The Consortium is made up of solar businesses as well as leading environmental, educational, and solar-focused non-profit organizations. Founding members include Mosaic, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), The Solar Foundation, and Women in Solar, sharing the vision that “every school in America will be equipped to give students meaningful learning experiences with renewable energy.”

“More and more schools across the country are discovering the benefits of going solar,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA.

“Today, solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in America, creating thousands of new jobs, pumping billions of dollars into the U.S. economy and helping to reduce pollution. For schools, solar can provide a curriculum where science, economics and the environment all intersect,” he said.

Learn more at www.solarschools2020.org.

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The record was confirmed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and is an increase over the previous record of 16.1 percent, also set by First Solar, in April 2013.

A First Solar installation in Sinzheim, Germany. Credit: First Solar

The company also recently set a world record in thin-film research cell efficiency of 20.4 percent, and they’ve been applying the technologies used in such research to their commercial product lines.

“This achievement demonstrates our ability to rapidly and reliably transfer research results to full-size modules. We can take CdTe innovation from the lab to production faster and more reliably than other technologies due to our robust, adaptable manufacturing processes and the accommodating nature of CdTe material technology,” said Raffi Garabedian, First Solar’s Chief Technology Officer.

“Our R&D efforts are delivering technology that will quickly be scaled to real-world application as part of our integrated power plant systems, which are engineered to deliver the best performance, reliability and value for our customers.”

He also noted that improved efficiency also makes thin-film modules a more attractive option for going solar in commercial/industrial installations. “With the highest demonstrated thin-film module performance, we are positioned to pursue new deployment opportunities around the world,” he said.

Taking these technological advances into account, First Solar has now raised its efficiency targets, with targets for year-end lead-line production nameplate efficiency of 17.7 to 18.4 percent in 2016 and 18.1 to 18.9 percent in 2017.

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The $1.2 million philanthropic partnership aims to encourage women to enter the fast-growing solar industry, and contributes to GRID Alternatives’ mission of providing work training and clean energy to underserved communities.

GRID Alternatives will provide training to over 1,000 women, as well as paid fellowships to work in the industry for a year to 20 women. Plus, they’ll host networking events, starting in Denver in late April.

“GRID Alternatives’ volunteer model provides women a pathway to access a variety of careers in an industry that added jobs at a rate of 20 percent last year,” said Erica Mackie, co-founder and CEO of GRID Alternatives.

Credit: GRID Alternatives

“Women’s talents and voices will be critical to the solar industry’s continued growth, and we are thrilled to be partnering with SunEdison to increase their participation in this field,” she added.

“Taking this step to create and advance the Women in Solar Initiative is not only the right thing to do, it is a smart business investment,” said Ahmad Chatila, CEO of SunEdison.

“The continued success of the solar industry depends on recruiting and nurturing the best and brightest people, and this initiative is going to help do exactly that,” he added.

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The news comes from Solar Market Insight Year in Review 2013, a report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

The additional installations brought the total PV capacity to over 12,000 MW, made up of over 440,000 solar electric systems.

Plus, an added 410 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) systems became operational last year, almost doubling the total installed capacity of CSP, now at 918 MW.

Credit: GTM Research and SEIA

According to the researchers, solar is now hitting the mainstream: second only to natural gas, solar was the second-largest source of electricity generating capacity installed in the U.S. last year – and the cost of installing solar fell by 15 percent throughout the year.

“2013 offered the U.S. solar market the first real glimpse of its path toward mainstream status,” said Shayle Kann, Senior Vice President at GTM Research. “The combination of rapid customer adoption, grassroots support for solar, improved financing terms, and public market successes displayed clear gains for solar in the eyes of both the general population and the investment community.”

“Today, solar is the fastest-growing source of renewable energy in America, generating enough clean, reliable and affordable electricity to power more than 2.2 million homes – and we’re just beginning to scratch the surface of our industry’s enormous potential,” said SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch.

“Last year alone, solar created tens of thousands of new American jobs and pumped tens of billions of dollars into the U.S. economy.  In fact, more solar has been installed in the U.S. in the last 18 months than in the 30 years prior.  That’s a remarkable record of achievement.”

Almost half – 44 percent – of last year’s new solar capacity was installed in the fourth quarter, making Q4 2013 by far the largest quarter in the history of the U.S. market.

Looking ahead, GTM Research and SEIA predict 26% growth in the U.S. solar market next year, bringing annual installations up to nearly 6 GW and a cumulative total just below 20 GW.

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The findings show that as of November 2013, America’s solar industry has grown by 500 percent since 2008, providing more than 13,000 veterans with job opportunities.

Almost ten percent of all solar workers are veterans, which is promising considering over 15 percent of veterans aged 18-24 are currently unemployed.

Plus, the outlook is bright: more than 60 percent of solar companies that employ veterans plan to add more solar workers over the next year.

“Our servicemen and women have made great sacrifices for our country and it is our responsibility to ensure that when they return home there are high-skill and well-paying jobs available,” said Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52).

“The solar industry offers our veterans a unique opportunity to use the knowledge they learned serving our country in a rapidly growing sector that is vital to both our national security and economic future,” he added.

The study is from The Solar Foundation and Operation Free, a coalition of veterans and national security experts working to secure America with clean energy, and draws on data from The Solar Foundation’s National Solar Jobs Census 2013.

“Through this collaboration, we are finally able to see, with hard numbers, what we have suspected for years: veterans are huge assets to the clean energy economy,” said Jaclyn Houser, Advocacy Director of Operation Free.

“They bring unparalleled technical skills and a relentless focus on accomplishing the mission. And they view their work in clean energy as a continuation of their service.”

It’s the first such study into veterans in the solar industry; Operation Free and The Solar Foundation aim to expand upon the findings to recruit and retain more veterans in solar.

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The 16.4 MW ground-mounted PV installation covers 170 acres of land that was previously unused, with 57,000 modules that automatically track the sun’s path to maximise electricity generation.

The installation will provide about 35 percent of the base’s electricity for 25 years – that’s equivalent to powering over 5,100 homes.

The new installation is also expected to save the Air Force around half a million dollars on electricity costs, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 17,000 metric tons, per year.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Credit: SunEdison

“The Air Force, like other branches of the armed forces, is a perfect candidate for solar power because they have high electricity demands and often have large plots of underutilised land,” said Bob Powell, president of North America, SunEdison.

“We can help them use that land to generate significant cost savings that can be reinvested.”

The installation contributes to the Air Force’s aim of generating one quarter of its energy from renewable resources by 2025, a significant goal considering the Air Force is the federal government’s largest consumer of electricity.

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The teams, hailing from the U.S. and abroad, will spend the next two years developing solar homes to be displayed at the 2015 Solar Decathlon held in Orange County Great Park, California.

The homes will be judged on factors like energy efficiency, architecture, engineering, innovation and affordability. The competition not only gives students hands on experience preparing them for the clean technology workforce, but also offers the public a chance to see renewable energy at work.

One of the homes at the 2011 Solar Decathlon.

“As President Obama made clear in the State of the Union address, we need an all-of-the-above energy strategy that creates a safer and more sustainable planet, while ensuring American students and workers have the skills they need for the challenging jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Poneman.

“The Solar Decathlon provides the next generation of America’s architects, engineers, and entrepreneurs with the real world experience and training they need to strengthen U.S. innovation and support new, clean sources of energy,” he added.

From 2002 until 2011, the event was held in Washington D.C. but has since moved to California to give a different set of visitors the chance to see solar energy in action first hand.

The following teams have been selected to compete in Solar Decathlon 2015:

• California Polytechnic State University
• California State University, Sacramento
• Clemson University
• Crowder College and Drury University
• Lansing Community College and Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University
• Missouri University of Science and Technology
• New York City College of Technology
• Oregon Institute of Technology and Portland State University
• Stanford University
• State University of New York at Alfred College of Technology and Alfred University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• University of Florida, National University of Singapore, and Santa Fe College
• The University of Texas at Austin and Technische Universitaet Muenchen
• University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
• University of California, Davis
• University of California, Irvine; Saddleback College; Chapman University; and Irvine Valley College
• Vanderbilt University and Middle Tennessee State University
• West Virginia University and University of Roma Tor Vergata
• Western New England University, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá, and Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana
• Yale University

“Since 2002, the Solar Decathlon has shown how hard work, imagination, and collaboration can energize collegiate teams to design, build and operate attractive, efficient, solar-powered homes,” said Tom Kimbis, vice president of executive affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

“SEIA congratulates the twenty teams selected by the U.S. Department of Energy from schools representing more than a dozen states to compete in the 2015 Solar Decathlon and wishes success to them all,” he continued.

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As part of it’s National Solar Mission (NSM), which aims to deploy 20,000 MW of solar by 2022, the Indian government is requiring that solar power developers must use solar panels and cells made in India.

The NSM has three Phases, now entering Phase II. The first Phase also had a domestic content requirement that the U.S. filed a complaint about. But in Phase II, the requirement to use Indian-made solar extends to thin film technology, which makes up the bulk of U.S. solar exports to India and was exempt in Phase I.

A rooftop solar installation in Gujarat. Credit: Azure Power

“These domestic content requirements discriminate against U.S. exports by requiring solar power developers to use Indian-manufactured equipment instead of U.S. equipment,” said United States Trade Representative Michael Froman.

“These unfair requirements are against WTO rules, and we are standing up today for the rights of American workers and businesses,” he added.

The U.S. Trade Representative also noted that protectionist measures like a domestic content requirement harm the expansion of solar worldwide, not just in the U.S. – a view reiterated by the U.S. solar lobby group.

“These types of ‘localization’ measures not only are an unfair barrier to U.S. exports, but also raise the cost of solar energy, hindering deployment of solar energy around the world, including in India,” said Froman.

“Localization barriers are a growing threat to U.S. solar exports and clearly violate WTO rules.  Over the past three years, the U.S. government has provided India every opportunity to remove restrictive and unfair marketplace requirements,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association.

“In the absence of any meaningful effort by India to find common ground, it’s now time for the WTO to finally resolve these long-festering issues.”

The U.S. has requested consultations, the first step in the WTO dispute settlement process. If after 60 days, India and the U.S. fail to resolve the issue through negotiations, the United States may ask the WTO to establish a dispute settlement panel.

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Covering around 3,500 acres of federal land near the California-Nevada border, the system has a field of thousands of mirror-like heliostats that direct sunlight to receivers on three 450-foot high towers. The heat then boils water to power a conventional steam turbine.

The system will produce 392 MW of electricity, enough power 140,000 California homes and avoid 400,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emission. The power from Ivanpah will be sold to utilities Pacific Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison Company.

“The Ivanpah project is a shining example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy,” said Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz at the opening of the plant, which accounts for about one third of all solar thermal power generated in the U.S.

“As the President made clear in the State of the Union, we must continue to move toward a cleaner energy economy, and this project shows that building a clean energy economy creates jobs, curbs greenhouse gas emissions, and fosters American innovation,” he continued.

While the project $2.2 billion project is owned by NRG Energy, Google, and BrightSource Energy, it’s also a recipient of a $1.6 billion loan guarantee from the Energy Department.

“This project was made possible by the successful public-private partnership between the Department of Energy and the project sponsors,” said Peter Davidson, Executive Director of the Loan Programs Office. “Through partnerships like this, we can continue to build an innovative clean energy economy in the U.S.”

Ivanpah was the first commercial scale solar power tower project in the U.S., and one of five CSP projects receiving a loan guarantee from the Energy Department.

The Energy Department’s Loan Program is also supporting innovative technologies like the country’s first solar thermal storage project and the first power tower with solar thermal storage.

“Congratulations to the Ivanpah team for achieving commercial operation,” said Rick Needham, Google’s director of energy and sustainability.

“At Google we invest in innovative renewable energy projects that have the potential to transform the energy landscape and help provide more clean power to businesses and homes around the world. Ivanpah is a shining example of such a project and we’re delighted to be a part of it.”

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Through the Give Power Foundation, SolarCity will donate a PV solar power system and battery unit to a school without electricity for every megawatt of residential PV that SolarCity installs this year.

According to SolarCity, over 290 million children around the world attend elementary schools that don’t have electricity.

Not only will students have electricity during the day, but the schools can be community gathering places in the evening. The first installations are expected to be in Haiti, Mali, Malawi and Nepal.

SolarCity CEO, Lyndon Rive, installs a panel on a school in Nicaragua in 2013. Credit: SolarCity

“The United Nations has set the ambitious goal of ensuring that everyone in the world has access to electricity by 2030, while fighting climate change, and we are deeply committed to making this happen through the Give Power Foundation,” said Hayes Barnard, SolarCity’s Chief Revenue Officer and President of Give Power Foundation.

“Now every SolarCity customer will play a part in giving light to a community in need,” Barnard continued.

The Give Power Foundation will work with buildOn, a nonprofit that builds schools in some of the poorest countries in the world, to ensure that the systems are installed and maintained correctly.

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That’s based on comments from insiders and former employees, and the fact that Apple recently posted a job advertisement seeking an engineer specialising in solar and has poached employees from battery tech companies like Tesla.

There have already been rumours of a curved-glass “smartwatch,” and in 2013 Apple patented a flexible battery, which could potentially be covered by a thin layer of solar cells.

While smartphone and portable computer technology has been advancing in leaps and bounds, battery technology has lagged. According to the Times, that’s because the safety of “experimental” batteries is not totally clear – and also because most currently popular devices, like cell phones, do not actually see enough sun as they are usually carried in pockets.

An iPhone connected to a solar battery. Credit: Reuters

As the functionalities of products like smartphones increase, the need to extend battery life is becoming more profound…however, even if a solar-powered Apple smartwatch really is in the works, by all counts it is years away from reaching consumers.

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The farm is own by the the Westmill Solar Co-operative’s 1,648 members. It’s the first large scale solar farm cooperative in the UK, and according to the group members, the largest in the world.

Over 20,000 PV panels make up the 5 MW farm, generating enough electricity to power 1,400 homes in Oxfordshire each year.

The group aims to not only combat climate change, but also provide locals with a positive, stable investment. And the group believes, according to its website, “ownership should be equitable – so no matter the level of investment, each member has the same number of votes at each year’s AGM.” That means each member has a say in how the park is run and how the revenue is spent.

Credit: Westmill Solar Cooperative

“We believe that local ownership and community ownership of renewable energy systems is a brilliant way to go forward. It’s about decentralising production. It’s about empowering people to have the opportunity to control and have a stake in the energy industry,” Adam Twine, director of the Westmill Solar Co-operative, recently told Voice of Russia.

“And it’s about keeping money from [big energy] businesses going round in the local economy. It’s a win-win all round,” he continued.

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The ring atop the stadium, made of LED light bulbs, is powered by 1,350 building integrated PV panels installed by NRG Solar in 2012. The 314 kW system can generate 350,000 kW hours of electricity, equivalent to taking 53 cars off the road each year.

The Solar Ring is part of a suite of energy saving initiatives agreed to in a Memorandum of Understanding with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back in 2009. MetLife Stadium opened in April 2010.

Credit: NRG Solar

In addition to using PV technology, the stadium is made in large part of recycled steel and concrete, has seating made partially from recycled plastic and scrap iron, low flow faucets, toilets and waterless urinals in restrooms, and food composting.

Each year, the stadium reports to the EPA. In 2013, MetLife Stadium reduced its carbon footprint by 234,834 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent, which is analogous to eliminating carbon dioxide emissions from 12,086 homes.

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“People want to support clean energy development. Customers are seeing the benefits of getting solar for their homes but they would like to participate in other ways as well,” said SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive.

Credit: SolarCity

“Previously, only institutional investors could participate in the financing of most solar assets,” said Rive. “With our investment platform, we’re hoping to allow far more individuals and smaller organizations to participate in the transformation to a cleaner, more distributed infrastructure.”

SolarCity has acquired financial technology firm Common Assets, which has developed the new investment platform that will allow individuals to invest in solar – an industry that isn’t just booming financially, but also provides a social and environmental benefit.

“Unlike crowdfunding and community solar approaches that typically aggregate investors to provide loans for individual projects, SolarCity plans to offer debt investments backed by diversified portfolios of solar assets,” said Tim Newell, CEO of Common Assets and now SolarCity’s vice president of financial products.

“SolarCity’s financial products will provide an exciting new opportunity for people to make an impact—both for their own financial future and our global future—by investing in the shift to solar energy,” he said.

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The data comes from the latest PV Equipment Quarterly report released by research firm NPD Solarbuzz.

“During 2012 and 2013, solar PV equipment suppliers were confronted by the sharpest downturn ever to hit the sector,” said Finlay Colville, vice president at NPD Solarbuzz.

“The decline was caused by strong over-capacity that reshaped the entire PV industry in 2012, which resulted in manufacturers’ capital expenditure budgets being put on hold during 2013,” he continued.

Credit: PV Equipment Quarterly

Spending on solar PV equipment, including components like crystalline wafers and solar cells, fell to $1.73 billion last year – from a peak of $13 billion in 2011 – as the market adjusted to a global oversupply and decline in prices.

But NPD Solarbuzz predicts that by the end of the year, demand for PV panels will catch up with the industry’s production capacity. PV manufacturers will, in turn, require increased capacity to keep up with growing demand, which will flow on to the PV equipment supply chain.

And while crystalline silicon producers will still dominate the market, the report foresees opportunities for equipment manufacturers supplying the thin-film PV sector.

“Strong investments from new thin-film challengers are expected in the coming years, including Hanergy’s plan for several gigawatts of new CIGS capacity within China,” added Colville.

“New thin-film capacity is also likely to be built in the Middle East and Latin America, as emerging regions seek to enter the PV manufacturing arena and differentiate themselves from crystalline silicon products made in Asia.”

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The bridge, which crosses the Thames River, was originally built in 1886 but has been upgraded by the London rail network as part of the overhaul of the adjacent train station.

Credit: Network Rail

Solarcentury installed 4,400 solar photovoltaic panels on the bridge’s roof, covering almost 65,000 square feet, the 1.1 MW system making it the world’s largest solar bridge. The panels will provide half of the train station’s energy and save over one million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

Rail commuters celebrated with a tea party,with around 79,000 cups of tea representing how much tea can be brewed each day with the electricity generated from the new PV system.

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The 1,350,000 advanced thin-film PV modules will cover 250 hectares of land near the town of Nyngan, in the state of New South Wales (NSW).

The plant is supported by the state government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), has been in planning for four years, and has an expected completion date of mid-2015.

Once complete, the 102 MW Nyngan Solar Plant will produce enough electricity to power more than 33,000 homes, offsetting over 203,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. That’s equivalent to taking more than 53,000 cars off the roads.

Credit: AGL

“Breaking ground at the Nyngan solar project is a significant milestone for the advancement of Australia’s utility-scale solar industry,” said Jack Curtis, First Solar’s Vice President of Business Development for Asia Pacific.

“Each project that First Solar constructs builds acceptance of and confidence in utility-scale solar as an effective source of power generation in Australia. As the Nyngan project develops, we look forward to seeing its impact, not only in generating important local job opportunities, but also in strengthening the solar industry’s position within Australia’s energy mix.”

First Solar will begin construction on another utility-scale solar project supported by ARENA and the NSW government in Broken Hill later in 2014.

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