News

SunPower awarded solar-plus-storage carports in California
US solar firm SunPower is to deploy 3.7MW of solar carports across 10 locations in Contra Costa County, California, with some of the sites using energy storage.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, California, USA, SunPower, solar-plus-storage, North America, contra costa, carport, helix roof system, Frank Di Massa
New configuration gives perovskite cells 18% efficiency
Cesium lead black perovskites could be interesting for solar cell development if their crystals are observed in their less efficient but more stable beta phase. The efficiency shortfall can be solved by healing emerging cracks in the surface of the cell using a choline iodide solution, according to an international team of scientists.
Oct 4, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, China, Europe, Asia, Switzerland, Luis K Ono, Jiao Tong University
Solar helping UK clean up legacy of coal industry
The governmental body responsible for keeping mine pollution out of waterways has announced completion of the first phase of a plan to use solar to keep down its electricity bills.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, UK, First Solar, Europe, HBS New Energies
Australia’s Townsville battery gigafactory reaches new milestone
Plans to develop an 18 GWh lithium-ion battery factory in northern Queensland have reached an important milestone with the project feasibility study submitted to the Queensland government.
Oct 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Storage, Australia, Oceania, lithium-ion battery, Siemens, Magnis Energy, James Cook University, Edify Energy, Cameron Dick, Durr Megtec, Ausenco
Singyes shareholders show discontent
The holders of almost six million shares in the company voted against the reappointment of chairman and CEO Liu Hongwei as a non-executive director. On Liu’s watch the company has had to turn to a state bail-out from China to help ensure its survival.
Oct 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, Singyes, Liu Hongwei, Zhuo Jianming
REC Silicon prepared to power down the rest of its operation
The Norwegian polysilicon and silane gas producer has announced it will listen to offers for its production facility in Butte Montana after mothballing its other manufacturing operation – at Moses Lake, Washington – in the summer.
Oct 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Tariffs, USA, China, Trump, Asia, North America, Silicon ASA, REC Silicon, Barack Obama
CleanSpark-ing up to ensure the grass is always greener
A U.S. microgrid specialist will draw up proposals for an independent solar-plus-storage system to ensure a remotely-situated cannabis farm in California can get the energy it needs to power cultivation.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, Software, USA, storage, North America, microgrid, CleanSpark, Zach Bradford, Good Energy Solar
Turkey’s net-metering: Will commercial, residential or municipal lead the way?
Turkey introduced net metering in May, stoking hopes the scheme could add meaningful volumes of new solar generation capacity. Municipal governments elected in the spring can also boost the program’s success, provided the many layers of authority can work together, that is.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, Rooftop PV, Asia, rooftop PV, Turkey, Utku Korkmaz
Solaria gets grid connection approval for 450 MW solar park in Spain
The project will be built near the Trillo substation, in the Castilla–La Mancha region and represents around 15% of the 1.3 GW solar project pipeline the company hopes to deploy in Iberia by the end of 2023.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Grids, Spain, Europe, solaria
GCL wants a 1 GW perovskite cell production line in place by 2022
With the Chinese manufacturer claiming it has already hit 16% conversion efficiency on a large panel, a recent perovskite conference heard predictions the technology will make up the next generation of PV cells – provided it avoids the pitfalls experienced by thin-film devices.
Oct 3, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, China, Asia, GCL, monocrystalline silicon, Fan Bin
US corporate clean energy procurement platform opens in Europe
LevelTen claims its online platform offers small companies the chance to band together to buy green energy and connects renewable energy producers and consumers in such an effective manner it has already driven $1 billion of green energy supply in its homeland.
Oct 3, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, USA, North America, LevelTen Energy, Bryce Smith
Akuo enlists crowdfunding partner for 17MWp floating project in France
Individuals can now bankroll the deployment of a large-scale floating solar plant in France, a project by Paris-headquartered Akuo Energy.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Floating PV, France, floating PV, Europe, akuo, Allianz Crowdlending
Taiwan solar to become rapid-growth market despite FiT cuts
Taiwan is expected to become one of the fastest-growing solar markets worldwide despite this year’s feed-in tariff (FiT) reductions, according to a new report, but a local developer has challenged the document's conclusions about the impacts of global PV module supply.
Oct 3, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, Taiwan, nuclear, vpc, Andy Tang, New Green Power, Tsai Ingwen
Netherlands to restrict grid linking requests to alleviate congestion
A controversial move by network operators has laid bare once more the Netherlands’ issues with grid overcrowding, with PV projects now set for connection delays in under-pressure areas.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Grids, Europe, Netherlands, subsidies, dutch solar, holland solar, grid congestion, Liander, Enexis
Philippines utility Meralco injects US$8.2 million into 210MW of solar
Philippines utility Meralco has sunk PHP424 million (US$8.2 million) of equity funding into its renewables subsidiary, MGreen, to support 210MW of solar projects.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Asia, Philippines, Meralco, manila, battery energy storage systems bess, mgreen