The German Solar Industry Association (BSW) has announced that German solar power producers have increased electricity output this year by 60 percent over 2010 to 18 billion kWh. This is more than three percent of total power output volumes.

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.

Indian utility Tata Power Ltd said on Tuesday it would buy out BP Alternative Energy Holding's 51 percent stake in joint venture Tata BP Solar for an undisclosed amount.

REC modules were selected for a 60MW module supplier agreement with the German project developer GP JOULE for solar power plant installations in France and Germany.

German solar-power developer Solar Millennium AG said Wednesday it has filed for insolvency after it was unable to sell four US solar-power projects, in the second such filing by a German solar firm in a week.

BP has taken the axe to its solar power business, saying it "can't make any money" from selling panels at a time when it continues to spend US$20bn annually on oil and gas developments.

Alterations to Germany's green policy are causing outrage. The country's environment minister, Norbert R繹ttgen, has rejected the economy minister's calls to cut renewable energy subsidies further.

This week Solon became the first publicly traded solar-power company to file for bankruptcy in Germany. Despite cost-cutting and a round of last-minute negotiations, the Berlin-based photovoltaic equipment maker can't make its deadline to repay ??75 million in loans.

China has further revised up its solar power development target for 2015 by 50 percent from its previous plan, state media reported on Thursday.

Installations of solar panels worldwide this year are likely to rise more than one-third over 2010, according to a study released Tuesday.

Solar power company SunPower Corp. will cut about 125 jobs, or 2 percent of its workforce, as the company faces a global solar power market where prices and demand are stagnating.

Struggling solar manufacturers will likely be driven into mergers with rivals to survive a sector squeeze, a trend that could draw major Asian conglomerates deeper into the renewable energy sector.