News

UK-based solar investment company launches the first subsidy-free solar park
LSE-listed investment company NextEnergy Solar Fund has finished the construction of the first unsubsidized solar project in Great Britain.
Nov 15, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Grids, UK, Europe, subsidy-free, NextEnergy Solar Fund
Daqo expands polysilicon production and reduces cost below $7 per kilo
Daqo New Energy, major crystalline silicon manufacturer, got revenue of $83.9m and gross profit of $18.1m during Q3 of 2019. The new facility with 35,000MT production capacity is to be commissioned by the end of the year.
Nov 15, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, Daqo New Energy, crystalline silicon
Organic dopants for a stable perovskite
Researchers at Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have demonstrated a method they say could improve the stability of perovskite structures. The group found adding an organic dopant served to increase the strength of chemical bonds between organic and inorganic elements of a perovskite.
Nov 15, 2019 // Technology, Saudi Arabia, Asia, perovskite, KAUST, Aleksandra Oranskaia
DMEGC offers new half-cell modules with up to 440 W production output
The newly developed mono half-cell solar module by DMAGC is based on PERC technology. Its conversion efficiency is as high as 19.78%. The product is available in two versions: with glass and white backsheet structure.
Nov 15, 2019 // Manufacturing News, China, Asia, DMEGC, half-cell modules
Solaria gets €59.45 million from a Spanish banking group for a major solar project in Spain
Solaria has raised funds for deploying of four solar installations contracted to supply energy for Repsol. The project is going to be a huge step toward the manufacturer’s target of installing 3 gigawatts by 2023.
Nov 15, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Spain, Europe, Solaria Energia
Mirova raises €857m in Eurofideme 4 funding round for renewables
The investment manager is now Europe’s largest renewable energy fund. The €1.3 billion group already has a 1.8 GW generation portfolio.
Nov 15, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Europe, Mirova, Eurofideme 4, Raphaël Lance
EU to help anchor lower price for floating solar power
The Fresher project, funded by the EU’s European Maritime and Fishery Fund, aims to develop better and cheaper mooring and anchoring systems for floating solar. The initiative is backed by Portugal utility EDP, which has recently begun to install floating projects.
Nov 15, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Floating PV, Spain, Sweden, floating PV, Europe, EMFF, utility EDP, João Maciel
Tesla is building the first huge Europe-based fab in Germany
Elon Musk has announced a factory next to Berlin, which is forecasted to provide about 10,000 new vacancies. Tesla is intended to build the plant in the proximity of new Berlin airport.
Nov 14, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Storage, TESLA, Elon Musk, China, Asia, Berlin, Axel Springer
Ecoppia is deploying cleaning solutions for more than 400 megawatts of solar systems in India
Ecoppia, the world-leading supplier of cutting-edge solar panel cleaning technologies, is contracted by Fortum to spread out its solutions across numerous projects throughout India, with a total capacity of 427 megawatts.
Nov 14, 2019 // Manufacturing News, India, First Solar, Asia, Ecoppia
Jinko is assured American authorities will decline Hanwha accusation
Seoul-headquartered solar supplier Hanwha charges rivals in the United States, Germany and Australia with having violated its patent. In U.S., Jinko Solar – together with REC and Longi – have requested an intermediate review by USITC. Today, Jinko is expecting the judge to decide in its favor.
Nov 14, 2019 // Manufacturing News, USA, Germany, Australia, Europe, Oceania, LONGi, North America, Jinko, Hanwha Q-Cells, REC, patent, Hanwha
What is wrong with Fe photovoltaic cells
Scientists at Swedish Lund University are exploring the process due to which about a third of Fe-based solar cells’ energy is wasted. Identifying the way charge loss happens, they insist, is going to be the initial move toward solving the problem and creating high-efficiency photovoltaic cells of cheap and available material.
Nov 14, 2019 // Technology, Sweden, Europe, PV cells, Lund University
Ørsted to build 460-MW solar+storage project in Texas
Ørsted has commenced construction on the company’s first utility-scale solar plus battery storage project, the 460-MWAC Permian Energy Center. The facility is located in Andrews County, Texas, and will come online in mid-2021.
Nov 14, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, USA, UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR, Jinko Solar, Texas, JA Solar, North America, Ørsted, Henrik Poulsen, Declan Flanagan, Permian Energy Center
Three steps to fast-charging potassium batteries
Scientists led by Moscow’s Skolkovo Institute of Technology have drawn upon several of their recent battery material innovations to create a potassium-ion device. The institute says its development will pave the way for ultrafast and durable, high capacity metal-ion batteries, to supply rising demand for energy storage innovations.
Nov 14, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Storage, Lithium-ion batteries, Pavel Troshin, Skoltech, Europe, Asia, Russia, Moscow, Roman Kapaev, Philipp Obrezkov
Angola’s solar plans boosted by Italian oil giant Eni
The Italian oil and gas provider has signed a concession agreement with the government of the African oil country to build a 50 MW solar plant. The project is expected to be in the province of Namibe and will be part of the nation’s plan to deploy 600 MW of solar by 2022.
Nov 14, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Africa, Angola, Eni, Solenova
Canadian Solar sees turnover and profits retreat
The Chinese-Canadian manufacturer reported a 1% decrease in sales in the third quarter, with net profit falling 19%, to US$55.2 million. Quarterly shipments were up significantly year on year, from 1.59 GW in July-to-September last year to 2,387 MW this time around. The company expects to ship up to 8.5 GW of panels and achieve turnover of up to US$3.16 billion this year.
Nov 13, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, Canada, Canadian Solar, China, Asia, North America, Yan Zhuang