Multi-megawatt systems in Africa and the Middle East February, 2010: Government orders two PV power plants: Portuguese project planner and module manufacturer Martifer Solar has signed an agreement with Cape Verde's finance minister. Sunday Energy plans Israel's first megawatt-scale PV system August, 2009: Israeli project planner Sunday Energy Ltd. will build a 1 MW rooftop system for geothermal specialist Ormat Technologies.     New PV factories March, 2010: On Dec. 21, 2009, Moncada Solar Equipment Srl opened its factory for thin-film silicon modules in the Sicilian community of Campofranco. German feed-in tariff cuts to take effect on July 1 February, 2010: Feed-in tariffs for rooftop systems will be reduced by 16 percent, while subsidies for ground-mounted systems on cropland are eliminated altogether. In-house consumption will receive an additional 8 euro cents (11¢) per kWh.     Massachusetts doubles PV market and swaps incentives March, 2010: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts in late January began accepting applications for two new PV rebate programs aimed at homeowners and businesses wishing to install PV systems with a generating capacity of up to 200 kW – called Solar Commonwealth II and Commonwealth Solar Stimulus. Schwarzenegger backing bill to nix net-metering cap February, 2010: California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing ahead with his promise to eliminate the state’s current cap on net metering in his final year in office, backing a bill to be introduced in state legislature in February to achieve that goal, Dan Pellissier, California’s deputy secretary for energy policy, told PHOTON International.     Taiwan’s new PV feed-in tariffs await application procedures March, 2010: A half a year after its parliament passed a renewable energy act (see PI 8/2009, p. 28) and just over a month after approval by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the nation island of Taiwan put its first set of PV feed-in tariffs in to place on Jan. 25 with no upper limit on system size. Report on Japanese PV feed-in tariff expected in March February, 2010: A project team set up under Japan’s Ministry of Trade and Economy (METI) will issue a report by late March that could end up recommending the introduction of a feed-in tariff on all PV-generated electricity.     Australia’s solar boom hits turbulence, as politics confounds smooth transition July, 2009: Peter Garrett, Australia’s current environment minister and the long-time frontman of Australian progressive rock band Midnight Oil, once sang a catchy refrain that began with the words, »The time has come....« SunPower contributes to world’s first solar-diesel hybrid using flywheel technology January, 2009: When it comes to energy storage from large PV systems, it may soon be time for batteries to move aside.     Testing Kaco’s Powador 4000 supreme DCS inverter February, 2010: The test candidate with the highest power naturally has physics on its side and achieves a better efficiency, as would be expected. Moreover, its construction is improved: it includes a Power Boost Mode. One inverter, two operating modes: that intrigued PHOTON Lab technicians – of course, they tested the device in both modes. Testing Kaco’s Powador 2500xi DCS inverter February, 2010: First impressions aren’t always accurate. When PHOTON Laboratory staff conducted a visual inspection of the Powador 2500xi DCS, which was sent to the lab after the manufacturer signed the usual test agreement in May 2009, a loose screw was discovered.     New generation of wafer grippers from Schmalz March, 2010: Germany-based J. Schmalz GmbH has launched a new generation of grippers – the Schmalz Wafer Gripper (SWG). Edwards develops upgraded gas abatement system for PV production February, 2010: UK-based Edwards Ltd. has upgraded its Spectra Z series for exhaust treatment solutions in solar cell and flat-panel display production with the Spectra ZW.     Photovoltaics with a capital »P« – the European perspective December, 2009: To find out the high regard in which the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) in Ispra, Italy, holds PV, just look at the recently released eighth edition of it PV Status Report 2009. Reviewing the past to get the future of urban PV planning right December, 2009: When it comes to rooftop systems, PV’s main market has traditionally been concentrated on one-off installations where homeowners combine the wish to do the right thing for the environment while making a little profit in the process.     Sharp Solar gets new boss June, 2007: Since April 1, Takashi Tomita is no longer head of Sharp Corp.'s international solar division. He is now in charge of the company's research and development department. The awards tour October, 2006: Just as at every international PV conference, many awards were bestowed upon deserving recipients in Dresden.