China

Total expands solar business in Asia
The French oil giant and China’s Envision Group are forming a joint venture offering PV systems combined with energy management solutions. Total Eren is also involved in a 100 MW solar project in Uzbekistan.
Sep 16, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, France, China, Total Eren, teess, Julien Pouget, Envision Group, Eno AIoT, EDEN Renewables
Total, Envision’s JV launches commercial activity in China
TEESS, a 50/50 joint venture established by Total and Envision Group, has launched its commercial activity to develop on-site distributed generation solar projects for B2B customers in China.
Sep 16, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, China, Total, teess, envision, Alex Sun, Julien Pouget
Five takeaways from EU PVSEC 2019
This week, pv magazine headed to Marseille for the 36th edition of the EU PVSEC conference and exhibition. During the week-long show, leading universities and research institutes presented their latest results to the industry and public. As the conference heads into its final afternoon, we’ve put together five key takeaways from this year’s event.
Sep 13, 2019 // Solar, France, China, Europe, Asia, recycling, EU PVSEC 2019, thermal and UV drone
Bangladesh’s first state-owned solar plant comes online
The new generation facility was financed by the Asian Development Bank and built by Chinese company ZTE Corp. The project will sell power to the grid for $0.065/kWh, a record low for solar in the country.
Sep 13, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Floating PV, China, Bangladesh, Asia, rooftop solar, Asian Development Bank, ZTE Corp, Floating solar
The energy transition is easily affordable but all hope of 1.5C warming will vanish in 2028
Technical consultancy DNV GL has published its Energy Transition Outlook 2019. While the electric vehicle, storage and renewable energy industries are likely to see significant rises in demand, the sobering conclusion is the world will miss carbon reduction targets by a long shot.
Sep 12, 2019 // Solar, storage, India, China, Asia, DNV GL
Solar pioneer Pierre Verlinden: The big problem is apathy
On the first day of this year’s EU PVSEC conference, veteran solar researcher Pierre J Verlinden won the Becquerel Prize for Outstanding Merits in Photovoltaics. The award recognized more than 40 years as a leading PV researcher in academia and at leading companies including Sunpower and Trina Solar. Its recipient spoke to pv magazine about what is needed from solar to stave off catastrophic climate change.
Sep 11, 2019 // Opinions, SunPower, China, Europe, Asia, wafers, Trina Solar, PERC, eu pvsec, Pierre Verlinden
Can solar power shake up the energy market?
The classical Greek philosopher Socrates believed the ideal house should be warm in winter and cool in summer. With clarity of thought like that, it's easy to see how the great man got his reputation.
Sep 11, 2019 // Solar, USA, BATTERIES, China, Asia, North America, Socrates, Golden Thread, Edmond Becquerel, Charles Fritts, Albert Einstein, Vanguard 1, silicon PV cells
Singulus lowers outlook after delayed CNBM order
The German PV equipment provider will not achieve the sales and earnings targets set for this year. CNBM is not expected to place orders for the expansion of its CIGS thin-film production operations in China until the fourth quarter.
Sep 10, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, CNBM, Singulus, thin-film module, Avancis
Eric Luo: China will see just 20-25 GW of solar per year through 2025
The GCL System chief executive made comments that fly in the face of an expected solar gold rush in China that analysts predict will start this month. Though rising overseas demand will address overcapacity fears, according to Luo, the soundbite is sure to chill PV boardrooms across the world’s biggest solar market.
Sep 10, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, China, Asia, GCL, Eric Luo, Roth Capital Partners
Panda Green writes off another $5.6m
The debt saddled renewables project developer has signed off on the sale of two wind farms in Shanxi at a loss of RMB40 million on investment. The sale will contribute up to RMB251.5 million to help pay off the parent company’s debts
Sep 9, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, Panda Green, Changzhou Zhaolian
UNEP: Solar the star of a decade of ‘incredible’ renewables momentum
Solar PV has seen a “meteoric rise” over the past decade, with more capacity installed than any other power source, according to a new report by BloombergNEF and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
Sep 9, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Germany, UK, China, Europe, Asia, bloomberg nef, unep, solar finance, development finance, reports, Inger Anderson
High power prices, falling PV costs and new regulations behind Brazil’s solar carnival
The nation’s thriving distributed generation market is flying, as was evident at last week’s Intersolar South America trade show. The sector seems unconcerned by mooted changes to net metering incentives in the new year and when even an environmental non-believer like President Bolsonaro is on side, it is difficult to be pessimistic.
Sep 8, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Inverters, Solar, USA, Sungrow, Canadian Solar, China, South america, Latin america, Europe, Brazil, Asia, Fronius, Greener, North America, Intersolar South America, Solar Promotion, Florian Wessendorf, utility scale solar, Marcelo Sousa, Ada Li, Thais Zampieri Bitancourt, Julian Rau, Trina, Álvaro García Maltrás, Apollo Chai, Rodolfo Meyer, Portal Solar, Marcio Takata, Lucas Troia
Panda Green accepts $22.5m hit on sale of 540 MW of solar projects
The heavily indebted developer has cashed in two eight-project portfolios for an immediate $28 million windfall but accepted the sales recognize heavy losses as it continues to try and pay down debt.
Sep 8, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, Panda Green, Shanxi Silu Electricity Engineering Co Ltd, Changzhou Zhaolian Lvchang New Energy Ltd
Comtec ready to swim against the tide by outsourcing manufacturing
While the rest of China’s solar manufacturers take on ever more debt to expand their production lines as fast as possible, Comtec said it is ready to sell off fabs for the right money and will instead focus on project sales and lithium battery and EV business opportunities.
Sep 6, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, China, Asia, Comtec, John Yi Zhang
Ukraine orders lift Risen up overseas module shipment rankings
The Ningbo-based manufacturer shipped more than a quarter of the panels it exported in the first six months of the year to the eastern European nation. All the big manufacturers posted rising shipment volumes as emerging markets made up for slow growth in their homeland.
Sep 6, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Jinko Solar, China, Ukraine, JA Solar, Europe, Asia, Trina Solar, GCL, Risen, Chint