News

Mini series: ‘Today, it’s not just the energy that you produce’
While based in Munich in Germany’s south, renewable asset management software provider 3megawatt’s first major clients were in the United States. However, as the European markets have transitioned beyond feed-in tariffs to the complexity of subsidy-free solar and wind arrays, the understanding of the need for asset management tools is rapidly increasing, says 3megawatt founder and CEO Edmee Kelsey.
Aug 29, 2019 // Tariffs, Software, Opinions, USA, Germany, Europe, North America, tariffs, Munich, Edmee Kelsey, 3megawatt
Huaneng Renewables secured permits for just 50 MW of grid parity solar in first half
The wind power generator also has a 930 MW solar portfolio but did not take big steps in unsubsidized PV during the first six months of the year.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Grids, Tariffs, China Power, Huaneng Renewables
Trump ratchets up tariffs on Chinese products – including batteries
While the damage is largely done for cells, modules and inverters, increased tariffs on U.S. module components and 15% measures on lithium-ion batteries are not good news for either sector.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Inverters, Tariffs, USA, Lithium-ion batteries, TESLA, Sungrow, Trump, Inverters, Huawei, North America, tariffs, PV cells, modules, Enphase, Flex, USTR, Kelly Speakes-Backman
BayWa r.e., Statkraft team up for Spanish subsidy-free solar successor
Two sponsors of one of Spain’s iconic subsidy-free plants have sealed a deal to deploy a smaller successor in the same area, planned again without support from government money.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Spain, pv power plants, solar pv, Europe, subsidy-free solar, baywa r.e., Dr Benedikt Ortmann
SEIA: US renewable purchase reform must not entrench utility dominance
The pressure building for the US to water down decades-old federal energy policy risks further tilting the scales in utilities’ favour, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Policy, USA, FERC, solar-plus-storage, PURPA, Solar Energies Industry Association, North America, Abigail Ross Hopper, US utilities
Sound economics spur Aussie mining giant on to solar and wind
Australian miner Oz Minerals is turning to wind and solar power for operations at what is billed as the largest unexplored nickel-copper deposit in Australia, it order to curb the need for "high cost fossil fuels."
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Australia, Oceania, Oz Minerals, miner, Andrew Cole
BBOXX closes US$50 million funding round led by Mitsubishi
BBOXX has successfully closed a US$50 million Series D funding round that will see the next generation utility company accelerate its global expansion efforts.
Aug 29, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Germany, Europe, Africa, bboxx, mitsubishi, Mansoor Hamayun, PowerGen Renewable Energy, Rafiki Power, E.on SE
Maharashtra eyes tariff cap of around US$0.040/kWh for new PV tender
India’s Maharashtra state has launched a process to procure a major slice of grid-linked solar power, pushing for low prices in line with earlier tenders this year.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Markets & Finance News, Grids, Tariffs, India, tender, Asia, tariff, prices, maharashtra, Vinay Rustagi
JA Solar provides 33.1MW of mono-PERC panels to Scythia-Solar-2 project in Ukraine
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, JA Solar has supplied 33.1MW of mono-PERC panels to Ukraine-based project developer, UDP Renewables for the Scythia-Solar-2 PV power plant in the Zaporizhia region of the country.
Aug 29, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Ukraine, UDP Renewables, pv power plants, SMSL, JA Solar, pv modules, Europe
Solar hails victory as Victoria u-turns to ramp up rebate support
Victoria’s state government has yielded to industry pressure and increased the frequency and number of rebates available in its rooftop solar subsidy programme.
Aug 29, 2019 // Residential, Markets & Finance News, Policy, Rooftop PV, Victoria, Australia, rooftop, John Grimes, Oceania, subsidies, smart energy council
PVEL adding new solar module testing regimes including backsheet durability and LeTID sensitivity
PV Evolution Labs (PVEL) is including a number of key module reliability tests to its PV Module Product Qualification Program (PQP) that is more responsive to downstream market needs.
Aug 29, 2019 // Manufacturing News, USA, PV Tech, pv modules, c-si manufacturing, North America, pvel, top performer, pv module reliability scorecard, letid, backsheet, microcracks, DNV GL
Waaree Energies cumulative solar module shipments nearing 2.5GW
India's largest solar panel manufacturer, Waaree Energies said it was closing in on achieving cumulative solar module shipments of 2.5GW as its recent capacity expansions took nameplate production to 1.5GW.
Aug 29, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, India, pv power plants, pv modules, c-si manufacturing, Asia, waaree, Sunil Rathi
Canada’s self-styled largest PV project gets provincial approval
A solar project likely to become Canada's largest to date has received provincial approval, paving the way for construction of the 400MW operation to start next year.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Canada, North America, greengate power, calgary, alberta, Dan Balaban
Industry: Seizing LatAm solar potential requires busting myths
Fully tapping into Latin America’s bullish solar market will require challenging preconceptions around a region that is more stable than is sometimes assumed, local operators have told PV Tech.
Aug 29, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Policy, Amazon, South america, Latin america, Brazil, jair bolsonaro, Mexico, North America, Absolar, latam, bolsonaro, Rodrigo Sauaia, AMLO
THEE, CEE in joint 500MW subsidy-free PV push in Germany
Hamburg-based companies Thüga Erneuerbare Energien GmbH (THEE) and the CEE Group have signed off on a memorandum of understanding that will see both entities jointly operate large-scale photovoltaic plants in Germany without subsidies.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Germany, Europe, THEE, cee, Dr. Björn Keßel