Solar Snippets  

Reuters reports that the Japanese government is to reintroduce solar PV subsidies in an effort to retain leadership in the sector.

Japan is poised to provide subsidies and tax breaks for solar panel makers next year to maintain its hold on the red-hot industry, two officials at its Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The news drove up shares of makers of solar equipment on Monday on expectations that the measure would further spur demand for green energy.

Japan, the world's top maker of solar cells, is home to solar equipment suppliers such as Ulvac Inc, which jumped 7.8 percent, NPC Inc, which rose 6.2 percent and SES Co Ltd, which rose 15.7 percent. ... Tight silicon supply is limiting solar production capacity at Japanese solar cell makers for the next two to three years, executives have said.

A senior official at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said the ministry would receive "urgent recommendations" from a panel that is due to discuss clean energy on Tuesday. "It's clear that lack of vision dented Japan's lead in market share," said another official, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. "Japan has the technological advantage. But the measures would have to be drastic if we are to keep our lead."

The Nikkei reported on Sunday that the panel would propose plans that could halve the cost of putting up solar panels in households.

Sharp and Kansai are looking to build a pair of PV power plants in Sakai in western Japan.

Kansai Electric plans to spend about 5 billion yen ($46.57 million) to build a 10 megawatt-plant by March 2012. Sharp and the electric utility plan to build the other power generation facility, with a capacity of 18 megawatts, by March 2011.

Deutsche Welle reports the world's largest thin film solar plant is now operational in Germany.

A solar power plant described by its operators as the biggest in the world began generating electricity at the site of a former East German air base on Sunday, June 22.

The Waldpolenz Solar Park is built on a surface area equivalent to 200 soccer fields, the solar park will be capable of feeding 40 megawatts into the power grid when fully operational in 2009. In the start-up phase, the 130-million-euro ($201 million) plant it will have a capacity of 24 megawatts, according to the Juwi group, which operates the installation.

The facility, located east of Leipzig, uses state-of-the-art, thin-film technology. Some 550,000 thin-film modules will be used, of which 350,000 have already been installed. The direct current produced in the photovoltaic solar modules will be converted into alternating current and fed completely into the power grid.

After just a year the solar power station will have produced the energy needed to build it, according to the Juwi group. The eastern part of Germany is one of the forerunners of solar energy in the country. Three of the world's 50 biggest solar parks are located near Leipzig.

ThaIndian reports that India's first solar power plant is being built in West Bengal.

The country’s first grid-connected 2 MW solar power project will start functioning here from December, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corp (WBGEDC) managing director S.P. Gon Choudhuri said Sunday. Laying the foundation stone of the photovoltaic plant, Choudhuri said: “West Bengal is the first state in India to undertake a solar power project of such a scale.” ...

West Bengal Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee said the state has received a proposal to set up a 1,000 tonne per annum polysilicon plant. Polysilicon, when used in a solar power plant, will have the capability to generate 1,200 MW solar power. New and Renewable Energy Secretary V. Subramanian said although the cost of producing green power was quite high now, it would be at par with conventional energy costs by 2017.