News

Wood Mackenzie expects more consolidation in inverter business
The research firm says the value of the global inverter market will continue to decline until 2024, even though shipments will likely increase. China’s recent policy changes have increased pressure on prices, which will contribute to greater consolidation in the sector.
Aug 8, 2019 // Inverters, ABB, Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, Sungrow, China, Inverters, Huawei, SMA, Schneider Electric
Neoen gets green light for PV-wind-battery hub in South Australia
French renewables developer Neoen has won development approval from the South Australian government for a major renewable energy project, with 125 MW of wind, 150 MW of solar PV and 130 MW/400 MWh of lithium-ion battery storage. The project could also include up to 50 MW of on-site hydrogen production capability.
Aug 8, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, Solar to Fuel, France, Australia, Europe, neoen, hydrogen, lithium-ion battery storage, Crystal Brook Energy Park, Garth Heron, Dan van Holst Pellekaan, Oceania, Solar to Fuel, Solar to Hydrogen, Producing Hydrogen, Hydrogen from renewable, Renewable fuels
Why are prices rising in France’s utility-scale PV tenders?
Earlier this week, the French government published a list of winning projects for the sixth round of its tender for large-scale solar. There were a few changes from the preceding round, with French companies such as Urbasolar, Engie and Total consolidating their positions. However, even though a higher number of projects were submitted, prices increased slightly in the end. In a short conversation with pv magazine, Xavier Daval — a representative of SER, the French renewable energy association — explained the reasons for this.
Aug 8, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, France, Germany, Engie, tender, utility-scale PV, Europe, Total, Urbasolar, Xavier Daval, CRE, Enerparc
Oxford PV to become heterojunction/perovskite solar cell manufacturer
Perovskite solar cell developer, Oxford PV is to become a merchant heterojunction with perovskite top cell manufacturer with orders placed with Meyer Burger that will provide an initial 250MW of cell capacity that will enter production by the end of 2020.
Aug 8, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Germany, c-si manufacturing, solar cell, oxford pv, heterojunction, perovskite, Frank P. Averdung, meyer burger
Top Spanish bank backs fully merchant 79.2MW PV project
One of Spain’s largest banks has gotten behind a utility-scale solar portfolio, planned without support from auctions nor power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Aug 8, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Spain, Renovalia, Banco Sabadell, Europe, subsidy-free solar, subsidy-free pv, unsubsidised, merchant solar, renovalia energy, J&A Garrigues, Luxcara
EDP secures second 100MW buyer for Californian solar-plus-storage project
EDP Renewables’ American subsidiary will sell 100MW of energy and 10MW of energy storage from a project in central California to the city of San Jose's default electricity utility, San Jose Clean Energy.
Aug 8, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, Grids, California, USA, CCA, EDP, Engie, ssfusa, solar-plus-storage, community choice energy
Indian government invites solar research proposals
The MNRE has invited proposals for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells, solar panel recycling, hybrid inverters and new applications that combine solar and storage, among others.
Aug 7, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Storage, Inverters, storage, India, solar cells, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, solar panel, recycling
German-French scientists develop ultra-thin GaAs solar cell with 19.9% efficiency
The researchers have developed a new manufacturing process by using an ultra-thin absorbing layer made of 205-nanometer-thick gallium arsenide (GaAs) and a nanostructured back mirror.
Aug 7, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, France, Germany, solar cell, GaAs, Fraunhofer ISE, C2N
Argentina allocates 96.7 MW of PV in ‘mini’ auction
Of the 38 new renewable energy projects that have been awarded, 13 are PV plants, representing 96.75 MW of capacity. The average price for solar was $57.58/MWh, and the minimum was $54.22/MWh.
Aug 7, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Tariffs, Portugal, PV plants, Argentina, cammesa, Brazil, installations, auction
Intersolar SA: where bifacial and trackers collide
The industrial development of the bifacial solar module over the last few years represents one of the most significant events in the world of photovoltaic systems. Today, this technology constitutes one of the most promising trends in the global solar market. During Intersolar South America, Convert will present its bi-facial tracker, an innovative solution to gain more solar energy from the panels.
Aug 7, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, USA, PV plant, pv modules, Brazil, Bifacial PV, Intersolar SA, photovoltaic systems, Convert, trackers
SolarEdge forced to increase expedited shipping through Q2 2020 on sustained demand growth momentum
Major PV inverter manufacturer, SolarEdge Technologies has been forced to accelerate expedited shipping via air freight, despite a 25% increase in manufacturing capacity as the company continues to set quarter sales records.
Aug 7, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Inverters, USA, Europe, solar-plus-storage, solaredge technologies, residential, commercial, industrial, power opitmisers, inverter
Vivint Solar secures US$325m debt refinancing deal
US residential solar installer Vivint has secured a US$325 million revolving warehouse facility to refinance existing debt.
Aug 7, 2019 // Residential, Markets & Finance News, USA, ssfusa, vivint, installer, residential solar, vivint solar, David Bywater, North America
Solar-plus-storage grid parity sweeps through top EU markets
The costs of residential solar-plus-storage have already dropped or will only take a few years to drop to nation-wide grid averages across key European markets, according to Wood Mackenzie.
Aug 7, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Policy, ENERGY STORAGE, Spain, France, Germany, UK, Italy, Wood Mackenzie, Europe, solar-plus-storage, energy storage economics, solar economics, woodmac, stats, analysis
275MW solar-plus-wind-plus-storage superhub approved in South Australia
A monster A$500 million wind-solar-battery facility capable of generating 275MW has been greenlit by the South Australian government.
Aug 7, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Grids, Policy, Solar to Fuel, Australia, solar pv, queensland, neoen, hybrid park, hydrogen, solar-plus-wind-plus-storage, climate council, turbines, Oceania, Solar to Fuel, Solar to Hydrogen, Producing Hydrogen, Hydrogen from renewable, Renewable fuels
Ukraine’s comedian-turned-president gets behind domestic solar
Ukraine’s recently elected president has rubberstamped new legislation designed to promote domestic solar via special tariffs.
Aug 7, 2019 // Tariffs, Policy, Ukraine, Europe, small-scale pv, small-scale solar, domestic pv, domestic solar, policy and regulation, policy changes, eastern europe