News

LONGi calls for industry alignment on wafer size as Hi-MO4 sales top 2GW
The solar industry must work together to agree on standardised larger wafer sizes, according to monocrystalline solar manufacturer LONGi Group.
Aug 21, 2019 // Manufacturing News, monocrystalline, c-si manufacturing, solar cell, silicon, wafer, LONGi Group, hi-mo4
Wisconsin governor issues executive order mandating carbon-free energy mix by 2050
Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed off on Executive Order 38, a motion that will create an Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy within the state, with the office tasked with achieving the goal of ensuring all electricity consumed within the State of Wisconsin is 100% carbon-free by 2050.
Aug 21, 2019 // Solar, USA, Wisconsin, carbon, Tony Evers, North America
North Carolina energy plan looks to clear remaining regulatory hurdles for solar
Existing solar power policies in North Carolina will go under review as part of the state’s draft Clean Energy Plan. Published last week, it includes the retirement of 4GW of coal and the proposal of measures to drive renewable energy more broadly as well as boosting EV adoption in the US state.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, USA, North Carolina, solar pv, ssfusa, Duke Energy, Clean Energy Plan, boosting EV, Stephen De May, North America
Lightsource BP readying construction of 70MW trio for US university
Lightsource BP is days away from launching construction works for a utility-scale solar pipeline it will deploy for a US university, set to go live next year.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, USA, PPA, PV Tech, pv power plants, solar pv, ssfusa, Lightsource BP, US university, Pennsylvania, North America
Zimbabwe mine eyes solar amid national power crisis
Caledonia Mining wants to build a solar power plant at its Blanket gold mine in southern Zimbabwe to ward off the worst from the country's increasingly volatile power supply.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Grids, Africa, Zimbabwe, caledonia, blanket mine, zesa, South Africa, escom, mining
Various joint ventures complete 195MW of PV projects in Egypt’s Benban
A joint venture between Elsewedy Electric and EDF, along with Scatec Solar and its respective partners, have both commissioned PV projects near Benban, Egypt with a combined generation capacity of 195MW.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Scatec Solar, EDF, Asia, Africa, Benban, Egypt, Ahmad El Mokadem, elsewedy
Coles signs PPA for three solar farms in Australia
The Australian supermarket giant will purchase more than 70% of the electricity generated by three solar power plants to be built and operated by Metka EGN outside the regional centers of Wagga Wagga, Corowa and Junee, in the state of New South Wales – the equivalent of 10% of the company’s national electricity usage.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Australia, Oceania, Molycop, Metka EGN, Coles, Terrain Solar, Mytilineos Holdings, Chairman David, Steven Cain, Thinus Keeve, Simec Zen Energy
Polysilicon prices to rebound in September
Average spot polysilicon price has crossed below the $8/kg threshold for the first time, according to PVInsights. Market analyst Johannes Bernreuter said, however, that the industry should not read too much into $8/kg as a historical threshold and that prices may rise again in September, driven by strong demand in the Chinese market.
Aug 21, 2019 // Solar, polysilicon, price, Johannes Bernreuter, OCI
NTPC reveals plan to build 5 GW in Gujarat, opens global bids for 1.2 GW
The utility has revealed plans to invest roughly $3 billion in the construction of a 5 GW solar park across two to three locations in the Kutch region of the Indian state of Gujarat. In a separate announcement, the New Delhi-based group opened global bidding to build 1.2 GW of grid-connected solar capacity throughout India.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Grids, India, NTPC, Asia
Distributed generation growing in Latin America
In the early years of the 21st century, distributed generation systems in Latin America were mainly installed off-grid in remote rural areas, writes Maria Chea, solar analyst at IHS Markit. As the El Niño phenomenon and high oil prices continued to exacerbate high electricity prices and power shortages, governments began to turn their attention to distributed generation, including PV systems, to assuage strains on their national grid networks.
Aug 21, 2019 // Opinions, South america, Latin america, Brazil, Mexico, Dominican Republic, North America
MoU for vanadium redox flow battery collaboration in Australia
Australian Vanadium and Metrowest Power Systems have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding to look at energy storage opportunities in Australia using vanadium redox flow battery technology.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Storage, storage, Australia, Oceania, Vanadium and Metrowest Power Systems, memorandum, vanadium redox flow battery, EPC Metrowest Power Systems, VSUN Energy, Vincent Algar, VRFB, CellCube Energy Storage Systems, Pangea Energy, Pangea Storage Project
Comtec Solar investors burned by falling stock price
Two subscribers who signed up to a 20% discounted shares subscription in mid June ended up yesterday paying almost the same percentage as a premium on the trading price of the stock.
Aug 21, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, USA, China, Asia, lithium-ion battery storage, Comtec Solar, mono solar, North America
Risen shines: Manufacturer starts work on 2.5 GW cell and module factory
The Chinese manufacturer is forging ahead with a new gigafactory despite a regulatory decision last year which halted its plans to raise a significant chunk of the costs by issuing convertible bonds. Risen expects to be back on the upswing when it confirms its first-half figures.
Aug 21, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, China, bifacial, Asia, Risen Energy, half-cut module, PV InfoLink, Merredin solar farm
Construction begins on 25 MW floating array in Korea
South Korea’s largest PV project is scheduled for commissioning by next year. The project developer – Korean floating PV specialist Scotra – is also planning a 2.5 MW offshore solar project with the support of the government.
Aug 21, 2019 // Plants, Floating PV, South Korea, China, floating PV, Asia, Scotra Co Ltd, Topinfra Co Ltd, Gunsan
Tesla will rent you a solar array for $50/month
Elon Musk is trying just about everything to reimagine the solar business. But will this one work?
Aug 21, 2019 // Solar, USA, TESLA, Sunrun, Elon Musk, SolarCity, vivint, Sungevity, North America