THE FRIDAY NOTE: Conergy heads for insolvency and rest of the week's top picks

(SeeNews) – Jul 5, 2013 – This week brings the news that German solar company Conergy (ETR:CGYK) will file for insolvency, the US Department of Interior (DOI) gives the green light to BP Wind Energy 500-MW project in Arizona and the UK says will nix the 5-MW FiT cap for community renewable projects.

Conergy will file for insolvency with a court in Hamburg after a long-year struggle with financial problems. It said it remained hopeful of finding an investor who would continue running the business.

More details on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/conergy-files-for-insolvency-363791

SMA, PANASONIC TO CUT 1,200 SOLAR JOBS, SINOVEL TO SHUT DOWN 4 OVERSEAS UNITS

Another troubled German solar firm, SMA Solar Technology AG (ETR:S92), said Thursday it would slash 700 jobs at home by the end of 2014 as it sees no hope for recovery in the solar sector in the short term. The announcement was followed by a Nikkei report, according to which Japanese electronics maker Panasonic Corp (TYO:6752) is to close its solar module factory in Hungary in March 2014, under a reogranisation plan. Some 500 workers will made redundant.

China’s wind turbine maker Sinovel Wind Group Ltd (SHA:601558) also faces hardships as it announced on Monday it would dispose of four of its overseas subsidiaries after last week it was indicted by the US government for stealing intellectual property (IP) from AMSC (NASDAQ:AMSC).

More details on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/sma-solar-to-cut-700-jobs-363558
on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/panasonic-to-shut-down-hungarian-pv-module-plant-report-363786
and on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/sinovel-to-shut-down-4-overseas-units-362900

US DOI OKAYS BP WIND'S 500-MW ARIZONA WIND PROJECT

The US Department of Interior (DOI) last Friday gave its nod to BP Wind Energy's plan to build a 500-MW wind park on public lands in the state of Arizona. The Mohave County wind farm will consist of up to 243 turbines installed on federal lands in northwestern Arizona. Once operational, it is estimated to generate enough electricity to supply up to 175,000 homes.

More details on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/us-doi-okays-bp-winds-500-mw-arizona-wind-project-362545

GAMESA GRABS 234-MW WIND O&M DEAL IN ITALY, VESTAS TO DELIVER 93 MW IN S AFRICA

Spanish wind turbines maker Gamesa (MCE:GAM) said Thursday it had received an operation and maintenance (O&M) deal for 234 MW of wind farms in Italy, owned by independent power producer Veronagest.

A day earlier, Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS) has signed a turnkey contract to deliver, install and put online 31 wind turbines for a project in South Africa, the Danish company said today.

More details on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/gamesa-grabs-234-mw-wind-o-m-deal-in-italy-363768
and on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/vestas-to-deliver-turbines-for-93-mw-wind-project-in-south-africa-363222

UK TO LIFT 5-MW FITCAP FOR COMMUNITY-OWNED RENEWABLES

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on Wednesday outlined plans to accept community renewable energy projects bigger than 5 MW under its feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme. In a press release the government said that the planned changes had been triggered by feedback from community groups on the kind of incentive that "works best for them".

More details on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/uk-to-lift-5-mw-fit-cap-for-community-owned-renewables-363479

NAVIGANT SEES 241.6 GW OF FRESH WIND IN 2012-2017, SOLARBUZZ PROJECTS H2 PV INSTALLATIONS OF 20 GW

The world is to install 241.6 GW of new wind power facilities between 2012 and 2017, progressing at an average growth rate of 5.1% a year, Navigant Research said on Wednesday. Still, wind turbine sales are expected to fall by more than 10% on the year in 2013.

On the solar front, the future also seems bright. Solar power installations globally are expected to rise 22% on the year to 20 GW in the second half of 2013, spurred by growth in Japan and China, NPD Solarbuzz says in a new report. Total 2013 demand for photovoltaics (PV) is projected to reach record-high 35.1 GW

More details on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/navigant-sees-fresh-wind-power-capacity-of-241-6-gw-in-2012-2017-363476
and on: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/global-pv-installations-for-h2-2013-to-hit-20-gw-solarbuzz-363197

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