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Incentive Cutbacks in Europe, Falling Prices, Create Major Corporate Challenges in 2012 - SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 19, 2012 - Worldwide solar photovoltaic (PV) market installations reached a record high of 27.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2011, up 40% Y/Y, according to the annual PV market report, 2012 Marketbuzz® issued today by NPD Solarbuzz. Overall market growth in 2011 was boosted by strong second half demand ahead of further deep cuts in solar incentives. This followed a period of over-production in the first half that triggered the sustained price decline through the PV chain that came to characterize 2011. The dominance of Chinese manufacturers in crystalline silicon wafers, cells and modules grew, the share of thin film declined, and demand in Asian markets grew rapidly.
Source: Solarbuzz, an NPD Group Company

Photovoltaik - Bitterfeld-Wolfen,   GermanyQ-Cells SE plans a restructuring of its financial liabilities in two steps. After intensive negotiations with different creditor groups, the Company initially aims to come to an agreement with the holders of the convertible bond due at the end of February 2012. This agreement will provide among others for a partial repayment of the outstanding bond volume in tranches over a period of time. In a second step, and in due course, the convertible bonds due in 2014 and 2015 shall be restructured via a debt-to-equity swap. The Frankfurt Regional Court ruled on Monday, 23 January that the new bond law from 2009 does not apply to the bond issued by Q-Cells International Finance B.V. due at the end of February 2012.
Source: Solarbuzz, an NPD Group Company

Recycling - At this year´s AVK-Conference Zajons received the 1st prize for CompoCycle, the new rec Zajons operates a recycling plant for the processing of old rotorblades and frp-productionwaste terial substitute for the cementindustry. The recyclingsystem CompoCycle® provides the guarantee to recover all organic and anorganic substances by the application of silizium in the cementproduction.

Windenergy - 24.01.2012: The Danish company Vestas Wind Systems A/S wants to reduce its costs by cutting more than 2,300 jobs by the end of this year. This was announced by the company at a press conference in Copenhagen in January. Vestas wants to cut its fixed costs by € 150 million by the end of 2012. This means that in the coming months 2,335 jobs will be lost, of which 1,300 will be in Denmark. Administration jobs will be particularly affected. If the tax advantages for manufacturers of wind turbines in the United States are cancelled at the end of the year, as the company fears, 1,600 jobs in the factories in the USA will also have to be cut, says Vestas.
source: Bielefelder Verlag GmbH & Co. KG

In the first six months of 2011, 101 offshore wind turbines totalling 348.1 MW were fully grid connected. Overall 11 offshore wind farms were under construction. Once completed, they will represent a total installed capacity of 2,844 MW. In Europe, as of 30 June 2011, there are 1,247 offshore wind turbines fully grid connected with a total capacity of 3,294 MW in 49 wind farms spread over 9 countries. The work carried out on these wind farms during the first six months of 2011 is presented below:

12.06.2011 Mainz,   GermanyConsumers will soon be able to rely on clean solar electricity from the Southern Harz now that Mainz Solar GmbH is installing a solar system in Ilfeld that will feature 24,000 modules. Mainz Solar is a joint venture between SCHOTT Solar and Stadtwerke Mainz AG. 3 S Solarstrom GmbH is both the project developer and the general contractor for this solar park. Following its expected completion in December of 2011, the system will generate about 5.25 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year and feed it into E.ON Thüringen’s grid. In purely mathematical terms, this would allow for the entire population of Ilfeld of around 3,000 to be supplied with green electricity.

World´s leading trade fair for water, sewage, wast and raw materials management. - IFAT ENTSORGA covers 215,000 square meters of exhibition space - The show takes up all the exhibition halls for the first time 
A good five months before IFAT ENTSORGA opens, the world’s premier trade show for innovations and services in water, sewage, waste and raw materials management is already fully booked. Waiting lists have been started in almost all product categories. IFAT ENTSORGA 2012, which takes place from May 7 to 11 in Munich, will be covering a total of 215,000 square meters of exhibition space (180,000 m2 indoors and 35,000 m2 outdoors), and that will set a new record for the show. In terms of exhibitors, the number will exceed the 2,730 that took part in the last IFAT ENTSORGA.

RENAC's new online courses offer a real career springboard.
RENAC is expanding its training program for renewable energies through a new, online part-time programme. The autumn sees the start of the three-month short courses "Project Management" and "Investment Appraisal". This English-language programme is being organized together with the Beuth University of Applied Sciences, Berlin and combines management or funding expertise with specialist skills for booming renewable energy markets.

According to the current Image Barometer survey carried out by the German Agricultural Society (DLG), Fendt, with 99.7 of 100 points, received by far the highest number of points amongst agricultural equipment manufacturers in 2011.
“We are very pleased that professional farmers have once again given us such an outstanding rating. That shows us that we are spot on with our philosophy to always generate the best possible benefits for our customers through the newest and most efficient technologies,” said Peter-Josef Paffen, Spokesman for the Fendt Management.

Wacker Chemie AG has begun producing hyperpure polycrystalline silicon at its Nünchritz site.
First deposition reactors at the new production complex have already ramped up production of polysilicon. The full nominal capacity of some 15,000 metric tons annually is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2012. The start of production is three months earlier than WACKER's very ambitious original timetable. All in all, WACKER has invested about €900 million in these new production facilities — creating more than 500 new jobs as a result.