Excerpt from an article in greentechsolar: Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) has been the last desperate business plan gasp of many solar firms. Faced with insurmountable cost and scaling pressures, solar firms with non-viable cost structures land their hopes on the promise of BIPV rescuing them from their spiral of doom. Click here to read the article.

Industry analyst firm NanoMarkets, Glen Allen, Va., has published a report titled, “Building Integrated Photovoltaics Markets, 2011,” according to a July 6 release. The BIPV products market will surpass $11 billion in revenues in 2016, up from more than $2 billion in 2011, according to the report. BIPV capacity installed will experience a 10-fold increase [...]

PPG Industries, Pittsburgh, has published a data sheet that quantifies improvements in the performance of Solarphire AR anti-reflective and Solarphire 2XAR two-sided, anti-reflective glasses, according to a June 21 release. Solarphire AR and 2XAR glasses can now achieve solar transmittance of up to 96.3 percent in the visible and near-infrared bands of the solar spectrum [...]

At its board meeting on June 9, the Missouri Joint Municipal Electric Utility Commission gave approval for an agreement to purchase all of the power generated by a Butler, Miss., solar power plant developed by Solar Link US Inc., a Lee’s Summit, Miss.-based solar energy company, according to a June 16 release. At 3 Megawatts, [...]

Ten years after its founding, CIS thin-film producer Sulfurcell, Berlin, Germany, has changed its corporate name to Soltecture. The new name reflects the company’s standard for maximum performance in solar energy, technology and architecture. At Intersolar Europe, June 13-15, in Munich, Germany, the company will present standardized system solutions allowing intelligent integration of high-performance and [...]

Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Marcus Buckingham will be keynote speakers at Solar Power International 2011, Oct. 17-20, at the Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, according to a June 7 release. Basketball legend and business leader, Magic Johnson, will welcome SPI 2011 attendees at the show’s opening general session on Oct. 17 at 5:00 p.m. with an [...]

Pilkington North America Inc. will be holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new one-acre solar array project at its research and development center in Northwood, Ohio. Weather-permitting, the ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled to be held on June 9 at the solar field. The ceremony will include opening remarks from Mark Stoner, the Mayor of the [...]

The NSG Group has announced plans to build two new value-added float lines in Vietnam to increase its production of specialist products to supply the growing solar energy and touch screen sectors. The move is in line with the expansion plans outlined in the Group’s strategic management plan announced in November 2010. The first of [...]

The International Green Construction Code (IgCC) hearings continued today in Dallas. On the schedule today, several proposals were covered that involved the use of renewable energy systems. Thomas Phillips of Target Corporation had proposed GEW244-11, which was disapproved. The proposal related to 611.1 on renewable energy systems requirements and would have added “alternative renewable energy [...]

Saint-Gobain Solar is expanding its product offering in North America through the introduction of Avancis PowerMax® premium class photovoltaic (PV) modules. PowerMax® combines copper–indium–selenide (CIS) solar power technology with a slim design, providing an efficient, cost-effective energy solution.  “In keeping with our commitment to help protect our global natural environment, we are thrilled to now be [...]