Leveraging its low-cost thin-film process, U.S.-based First Solar Inc. is set to surpass its crystalline competitors to become the world?s largest producer of Photovoltaic (PV) cells in 2009, according to iSuppli Corp.

Oerlikon Solar and Tianwei have completed one of mainland China?s largest thin-film solar panel factories, which in the first phase could produce 500,000 thin-film solar modules totalling 46 MW per year.

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. said Monday its wholly owned subsidiary Showa Shell Solar Co. will build a third plant for thin-layer photovoltaic cells in Miyazaki Prefecture at a cost of 100 billion yen.

Ramco Energy PLC is to sell off its oil and gas interests and focus solely on its offshore wind power operations. Ramco’s subsidiary SeaEnergy Renewables Ltd (SERL) has secured a net 456 MegaWatts of offshore wind farms.

EDF Energies Nouvelles (Paris:EEN) announced the commissioning of the Canton de Bonneval and Veulettes wind farms, both located in the northern half of France with respectively 24 MW and 8 MW in installed capacity.

GE Energy today signed an agreement to supply up to 101 of its 2.5xl wind turbines to CEZ Romania for Cogealac, the second phase of the Fantanele wind project.

Gamesa Corporación Tecnológica has entered into two new agreements with the company ENEL Unión Fenosa Renovables for the supply of twenty-six Gamesa G87-2.0 MW wind turbines (52 MW).

There is 150 MW wind power installed in in Czech Republic. The government foresees wind installations of 1,200 MW by 2020, claiming that this is the maximum the limited transmission network could cope with.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative?s New Wind Farm Creates Jobs, Puts GE?s ecomagination Transformers and Wind Turbines to Work, Maximizing Cleaner Power Delivered by Every Rotation of the Turbine Blade.