News

Daqo prepares for flood of new PV orders in China
The polysilicon manufacturer took a step back in the last quarter to take two steps forward in the next, bringing forward annual maintenance operations at its main production facility to prepare for a solar gold rush expected to start next month.
Aug 14, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, China, polysilicon, Longgen Zhang, Daqo, mono wafers
German PV equipment makers report fall in revenue
Manz and Singulus have both seen turnover drop in the first half.
Aug 14, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, Germany, Manz AG, PV equipment, Martin Drasch, Singulus Technologies AG, Stefan Rinck
German industry body calls for 5 GW cell manufacturing fab in Europe
The VDMA says Europe can restart a solar production sector that can compete on price with Chinese imports by reducing transport costs – provided a Euro supply chain can be established.
Aug 14, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Germany, China, Europe, VDMA, Jutta Trube, Von Der Leyen
‘New and strange properties’ provide a boost to energy storage
MIT scientists have developed a class of liquid electrolyte with properties they say could open up new possibilities for improving the performance and stability of lithium batteries and supercapacitors.
Aug 14, 2019 // Technology, Storage, storage, MIT, T. Alan Hatton, Xianwen Mao
Ganfeng Lithium’s Hong Kong-based shareholders rebel
Holders of almost two-thirds of the miner’s Hong Kong listed stock voted down a proposal to issue new non-Chinese shares that would dilute their investment by around a quarter. The board had proposed the move to raise funds for further lithium extraction overseas.
Aug 14, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, China, Hong Kong, lithium, Ganfeng Lithium, Li Liangbin, floated company
Cameroon to improve power supply with 25 MW solar projects
Energy of Cameroon wants to build two solar parks to improve power supply in the country’s northern regions. The projects will be developed by a consortium led by Norwegian solar company Scatec.
Aug 14, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Scatec, Europe, Cameroon
Botswana kicks off 100 MW solar tender
Botswana Power Corp is seeking independent power producers to build two 50 MW solar parks. The projects are intended to reduce the nation’s dependence on power imports from troubled South African utility Eskom.
Aug 14, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, tender, Africa, Botswana Power Corp, South African utility Eskom
Pattern Energy confirms takeover interest
Energy developer Pattern Energy confirmed on Tuesday that it is courting potential takeover suitors, but that so far no agreement or arrangement had been reached.
Aug 14, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, USA, ssfusa, pattern energy, terraform power, brookfield asset mangement, mergers and acquisitions
Greenbacker Renewable Energy purchases 9.27 MW of under-construction solar projects
Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company purchased the rights to a portfolio of three solar projects totaling 9.27 MW from a subsidiary of BNRG Renewables (BNRG).
Aug 13, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, USA, Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company, BNRG, Evergreen Solar Services, Charles Wheeler, Nick Holman
Sandia Labs increases efforts at abusing lithium-ion batteries for safety research
According to a press release from Sandia National Laboratories, the testing lab now uses an indoor tower to drop 200-lb+ weights on lithium-ion batteries in efforts to learn more about how batteries respond to stress. This will be especially helpful in understanding how electric vehicle batteries may respond in an automobile accident.
Aug 13, 2019 // Technology, Storage, USA, Lithium-ion batteries, Sandia National Laboratories, Chris Grosso
Webinar Q&A: Simulating the gains of bifacial and tracking installations, where’s the rub?
Following up on the webinar held with Trina Solar about the new algorithms needed for bifacial and tracking installations, the word is that gains of 20-30% are not unlikely. To attain that, however, the sweet spot of front and rear side yield has to be reached. Trina has showcased a new algorithm alongside its bifacial n-type modules and claims it can do just that.
Aug 13, 2019 // Opinions, bifacial, Europe, tracking, Trina Solar, Kyumin Lee, Klaus Hofmeister
Asian battery manufacturers eye European riches on offer
A report produced by an AI and automation market research company says an anticipated boom in the European storage market – driven by a desire to reduce carbon emissions – will attract producers as demand outside China tails away.
Aug 13, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Storage, storage, China, Europe, Maya Xiao
China holds key to corporate solar take-up but lags way behind Texas at present
The Lone Star State accounted for almost half of the activity witnessed in the world’s biggest corporate clean energy marketplace but analysts are excited about the prospect of Beijing mandating companies to purchase minimum levels of green electricity.
Aug 13, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Policy, USA, PPAs, Texas, China, Europe, Africa, Lone Star State, green electricity, RPS, Nordic nations
Aquavoltaics in the Philippines
An EU funded solar-plus-storage project has been tendered in the Philippines. The United Nations is seeking bids for the system, to support the for the seaweed industry on the island of Tawi-Tawi. Combining PV with aquaculture brings many advantages for both, including water conservation, a more controlled aquatic environment, and ecosystem restoration.
Aug 13, 2019 // Technology, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Floating PV, USA, tender, floating PV, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Philippines, RETS, MinDA, hybrid systems
Stitching together the grid of the future
A vision of a decentralized, renewable-powered electricity grid is being brought a step closer by scientists at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Their project, Autonomous Energy Grids, aims to take an overarching look at the solutions that will power this grid of the future, and to fill any gaps that appear between them.
Aug 13, 2019 // Technology, USA, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Autonomous Energy Grids, Benjamin Kroposki