News

Bifacial loses US tariff workaround as Section 201 exemption is axed
The US government has extended its solar import tariffs to bifacial modules, in a policy u-turn set to partially redraw the global trade flows of the fast maturing technology.
Oct 7, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, Tariffs, USA, Jinko Solar, SunPower, First Solar, Bifacial PV, Donald Trump, North America, Jenny Chase, section 201, trade war, Hanwha Q-Cells, Mark Osborne
Bid of US$0.027/kWh sees Masdar bag 100MW solar contract in Uzbekistan
UAE developer Masdar Clean Energy has been awarded a 100MW project in Uzbekistan’s first competitive solar tender after submitting a bid of US$0.027/kWh.
Oct 7, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Grids, tender, Asia, auction, world bank, Uzbekistan, Djamshid Kuchkarov
The Pros and Cons of Using Solar Energy
Amidst all the discussions about using renewable sources of energy such as wind or solar power to save the environment, there is also a school of thought that highlights the drawbacks of using solar energy.
Oct 7, 2019 // Solar, Solar Panels, photovoltaic systems, Paris
Vietnam Solar Supporters Plan a 'Million Green Homes'
Vietnamese advocates of solar power have begun a "Million Green Homes" project, aimed at spreading the use of solar power in the country instead of coal and other fossil fuels.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Residential, Grids, Rooftop PV, Asia, rooftop PV, Vietnam, Van Ngoc Thinh, Trinh Dinh Dung
REC Silicon May Sell Montana Facility
The polysilicon company draws another bad hand in the trade war.
Oct 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, USA, China, Trump, Asia, North America, REC Silicon, Montana facility, James A. May
NextEra and Southern Company Rank as Largest Solar Owners Outside China
The global solar market is growing rapidly but remains highly fragmented, Wood Mackenzie says.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, USA, SOUTHERN COMPANY, Italy, Wood Mackenzie, China, Duke Energy, Europe, Asia, enel green power, North America, NextEra Energy, Dominion Resources, Rishab Shrestha, Tom Heggarty
Roth: Trump administration could end bifacial tariff exemption
The U.S. Trade Representative has not responded to claims it will end the exemption from Section 201 duties. If true, the development could be a big hit for Asian PV manufacturers and an annoyance for the U.S. market – but a positive for First Solar.
Oct 4, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, Tariffs, USA, First Solar, Trump, North America, Philip Shen
Solar delivers cheapest power in Jamaica
Neoen has completed the 51 MW Paradise Park solar plant in the Caribbean. The facility will generate electricity for the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited for US$85/MWh over 20 years.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, MPC Capital, neoen, North America, Jamaica, Rekamniar Frontier Ventures, WRB Energy
Ireland allocates 110 MW in large scale storage auction
Originally intended to commission 140 MW of storage, the tender drew three winning projects: a 50 MW system and two 30 MW facilities. Eirgrid has estimated the total value of the contracts at around €6 million per year.
Oct 4, 2019 // Storage, Grids, Ireland, Europe, auction, Eirgrid Group
Deal signed for 40 MW solar park in DR Congo
The government of the Tshopo province has signed an agreement with Cat Projects Africa for the PV plant. The project will be connected to the grid operated by utility Société nationale d’électricité and is intended to improve power supply in provincial capital Kisangani.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Africa, DR Congo, off-grid solar system
Corsica hosts 5 MW/7.5 MWh solar plant with Tesla batteries
The project is in Giuncaggio, in the northeastern part of the French island, and was built with Tesla Powerpack batteries, a Nidec power management system and a new power management device from the project’s developer Corsica Sole.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Storage, TESLA, France, SunPower, Europe, Corsica, Nidec, Anthony Bonello
Australia’s Horizon to replace overhead network with solar and batteries
A recent project milestone saw the disconnection of properties from overhead lines and will enable 64km of poles and wires to be replaced by off-grid solar-plus-battery solutions.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, Storage, Australia, Oceania, aemc, Horizon, Stephanie Unwin
Chad gets financing for large scale solar-plus-storage project
An €18 million loan has been provided by the African Development Bank. The solar park, planned for capital N’Djamena, will be coupled to 4 MWh of storage.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Storage, storage, Africa, African Development Bank, chad, amea power
Hopes rise that proposed solar farm will transform former Sunnyside landfill site
A proposal to turn the site of a former landfill near Houston’s Sunnyside community into the largest urban solar farm in Texas has local officials and residents hopeful that change may finally be coming to a site that has been an eyesore for decades.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, USA, TESLA, Texas, North America, Sunnyside, Houston, Nathanael Greene, Tracy Stephens, Efrem Jernigan
Solar power could stop China’s Belt and Road Initiative from unleashing huge carbon emissions
China has invested US$90 billion in the countries involved in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2013. The BRI involves developing infrastructure in 126 partner countries to boost trade within a region stretching from Indonesia to Western Europe via the Middle East and East Africa, inspired by the historical Silk Road.
Oct 4, 2019 // Solar, China, Europe, Asia, Africa, carbon