Fears Germany will cap or cut green energy subsidies is boosting demand for solar panels, and uncertainty about the shape of the measures could give the country's battered solar sector an advantage against Chinese rivals.

The last of three patents that Rambus used to win infringement lawsuits against Nvidia, Hewlett-Packard and others has been declared invalid, according to legal documents.

A war is brewing between two coalitions of solar power providers-those who get materials from China and those who don't-and the outcome could have an impact on the future of American solar energy.

The US Department of Commerce said Monday that a late-2011 surge in Chinese solar-panel imports could affect the agency's pending decision on a dumping complaint filed by SolarWorld AG .

Following the amendment to the Quarto Conto Energia, GIFI, the Italian PV Industry Association, has said manufacturers are rising up to urge the government to repeal its decision on cutting FiTs for solar plants on agricultural land. Panic has spread through the PV manufacturing industry, where already financed projects will now not provide as much of a return as under the original legislation.

The Chinese premier, Wen Jiabao, yesterday expressed his country's interest in collaborating with the UAE on renewable energy projects.

Samsung Electronics has won government approval for its plans to set up a memory-chip factory in China.

Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor, South Korea's largest companies, told employees to brace for intense competition in a weak global economy as the government called for contingency planning.

Elpida Memory fell in Tokyo trading after the Asahi newspaper said it may seek a delay in repaying public funds.

The troubled single currency also hit a one-year low against the US dollar, hitting $1.2887.

For the past decade, solar companies and investors have largely focused their energy on transforming the electric power business of developed countries, first in Europe and then the United States.

First Solar Inc., the maker of thin-film solar panels that cut jobs and lowered its profit forecast this month, has won government aid while cultivating political relationships from California to the White House.

China has launched a trade probe into US subsidies for renewable energy and is contemplating filing a case with the World Trade Organisation. The probe is the latest episode in the rapidly escalating trade dispute between the two countries that was sparked off by an anti-dumping petition from a group of US manufacturers last month.

Germany's Economy Ministry released a paper on Thursday with a proposal to reduce the growth of new photovoltaic installations to 1,000 megawatts (MW) a year, a move that would dethrone the country as the world's largest market for solar panels.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) revealed its latest funding under the SunShot Initiative with a US$7 million effort for the reduction of non-hardware costs of residential and commercial PV installations.

The United States and China are gearing up for a trade war that could catch American users of solar energy in the crossfire.

The Commerce Department said on Wednesday it would investigate whether Chinese companies sell solar panels in the United States at unfair discounts and receive illegal government subsidies.

Chinese solar-equipment makers said tariffs sought by US competitors would make it harder to expand the use of renewable energy.

China has unveiled its three-step plan for phasing out energy-inefficient incandescent lamps. The announcement caused shares in US-based LED maker Cree (Nasdaq: CREE) to surge by almost 10% on November 4.

The UK government has launched a consultation paper, which is proposing further, significant photovoltaic feed-in tariff (FIT) cuts for systems registered on or after December 12, 2011.

Renewable energy is generating a lot of political heat. The bankruptcy of solar-panel manufacturer Solyndra, after a half billion dollar loan from the Federal government, has set off a hot debate on Capitol Hill.