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India: MAHAGENCO tenders 110 MW of solar
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pv magazine co-organizes two sessions at Intersolar Middle East in Dubai
I – Gulf-States and Saudi Arabia Market Update: Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait
Tuesday, September 26, 2017, 15:45 to 17:15
II – The Impact of Energy Storage in the Commercial and Industrial PV Markets across MENA
Wednesday, September 27, 2017, 13:30 to 15:00
for more details check out our webpage!
Ireland: 10 MW PV project rejected by council
A solar plant planned by developer Gaelectric on a site north of Dublin has failed to receive approval from the local council, according to reports from the Irish Independent.
GCL New expects H1 profit on 1 GW of capacity
GCL New Energy will likely post a profit of CNY 450 million ($67.4 million) in the first half of 2017, from a profit of just CNY 147 million a year earlier, as it connected 1.04 GW of new solar capacity to the grid.
Argentina launches 1.2 GW renewable tender, with 450 MW of solar
In Argentina’s new renewable energy tender, solar came in second with the quota of 450 MW.
Staying below 2 degrees is “possible and practical” says RMI
The Rocky Mountain Institute’s new report Positive Disruption describes pathways for the global economy to mitigate serious global warming through accelerated adoption of renewable energy, the transformation of our energy and transportation system, and improved management of agriculture, forestry, and other land-uses. Staying below two degrees Celsius of warming is not just possible the report argues but practical given the accelerating declines in the cost of renewable energy.
Foresight Solar Fund to pursue international strategy
The Foresight Solar Fund, an investment group with a 470 MW portfolio of solar projects in the UK, published financial reports for the first half of 2016 this week. Reporting after tax profits of GBP 11.5 million ($15 million) for the period up to 30th June, the group also announced plans to expand and acquire projects in new markets outside of the UK.
Appeals court upholds SolarWorld’s $800 million debt to Hemlock
The ruling comes as the German solar manufacturer is restarting following an insolvency process, and Hemlock may have a hard time collecting.
Researchers one step closer to efficient, colorful solar panels
Researchers at the Netherlands’ AMOLF Institute have developed a method for imprinting solar panels with silicon nanopatterns that scatter green light back towards the observer.
Markets & Policy
Featured
From Buffalo to Brazil
South Australia: 150 MW CSP plant to supply government’s power needs
Only a month after signing a deal with Tesla for the world’s largest lithium-ion storage project, the South Australian government has inked a generation project agreement with U.S. firm Solar Reserve for a massive solar thermal plant project, touted as the world’s biggest.
...Natcore to consult on 20 MW project in Ghana
After the 20 MW PV project planned in the Central region of Ghana was threatened with a 29% feed in tariff reduction, UK based solar developer PSECC Solar Farms turned to Natcore, with the aim of bringing in higher efficiency technology that would make the project financially viable.
...Uncertainty in 2018
As revealed in testimony against proposed trade action yesterday, the U.S. International Trade Commission’s Section 201 investigation is already having effects.
...Meyer Burger reports strong demand, customer orders in H1 2017
Following a comprehensive restructuring program to sustainably increase its profitability, the Swiss PV technology provider has posted the highest volume of incoming orders in any half-year period since 2011.
...Puerto Rico plans to add 240 MW of solar by June 2019
The new PV capacity will be part of a plan to add 1.5 GW of new generation capacity and to address the state of emergency of the country’s electricity system.
...Installations
Featured
Mexico: Up to 40% of projects selected in auctions may not be built
Kuwait plans tender for 1 GW solar PV project
The tender for $1.2 billion Dibdibah solar power plant will be issued in the first quarter of 2018, Bloomberg reports.
...Barbados government buildings poised for $5.5m solar retrofit
Solar PV array to be installed at the Barbados Government headquarters on Bay Street by Solar Watts Systems. Retrofit is expected to reduce government’s energy bills by $16 million.
...Scottish council grants permission for 20 MW solar farm
Moray Council have approved a proposed solar project by Elgin Energy at a 47-hectare site near Urquhart in the northeast of Scotland.
...Sparx posts $4 million profit in Q1
Japanese asset manager Sparx has reported a profit attributable to owners of the company of ¥460 million ($4.15 million) in the first quarter of the current fiscal year, as it connected roughly 20 MW of new PV capacity to the grid.
...Mauritius: 20kWp solar+storage to fully power luxury resort
A total of 130 solar panels coupled with batteries will fully substitute diesel-based power generation for the needs of Ile des Deux Cocos, an island resort of LUX* Resorts & Hotels, located in off-grid south-east Mauritius.
...Technology
Featured
Innogy adds muscle to Belectric’s one-stop shop
Swiss university spin-off develops grid analysis software
Zurich based startup Adaptricity, which grew out of leading university the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) is preparing to launch a software system which can simulate and analyze regional electrical grids, potentially a valuable tool for investors and grid operators.
...Researchers use polystyrene to upgrade perovskite solar cells
Polystyrene does not only bring down manufacturing costs of perovskite solar cells, but also improves their stability, researchers show.
...Father and son Australian company develops lightweight, solar-powered drone
The new drone features standard solar cells, which are encapsulated in composite material without losing efficiency.
...Imec hits 23.9% efficiency on 4cm² tandem perovskite/silicon module
Belgian research institute Imec has achieved a conversion efficiency of 23.9% on a perovskite/silicon tandem module measuring 4 square centimeters. This efficiency level, according to Imec, represents the first time such a stacked configuration has outperformed a standalone silicon solar cell.
...‘Solar sunglasses’ demonstrated by researchers at KIT
Scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have developed a pair of sunglasses that generate electricity through semi-transparent organic solar cells applied to the lenses. The team aims to demonstrate the potential of organic solar to be integrated into electronic devices, buildings and other applications not possible with conventional PV technologies.
...Manufacturing
Featured
Islands of opportunity
Hanwha Q-Cells to inaugurate Turkey panel factory in November
The winning consortium of Turkey’s tender for a 1 GW solar PV plant in Konya has announced its plan to also inaugurate a panel factory in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, in November. pv magazine provides an update on the 1 GW PV plant and the solar panel factory.
...SunPower announces pilot line for new back-contact technology
The new 5 MW line in Silicon Valley will produce cells and modules under a new IBC technology from the company that makes the most powerful commercially available silicon solar products.
...Energyra to build solar module factory in the Netherlands
The manufacturing facility will have an initial capacity of 100 MW and will produce both mono and polycrystalline modules.
...SolarWorld resumes activities with 700 MW and 515 employees
The German manufacturer will focus on the production of PERC solar cells and bifacial glass-glass modules in the future.
...Panasonic’s Q1 profit widens to $445 million
Panasonic reported a net profit attributable to shareholders of ¥48.8 billion ($445.1 million) in the first quarter of the current fiscal year — up sharply from ¥29.2 billion a year earlier — despite a decline in sales of its solar panels.
...Energy Storage
Featured
Storage saves
Hitachi, Itochu, NEDO switch on PV microgrid pilot in India
Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) has started operating a microgrid powered by a 1 MW solar array in western India.
...Toshiba narrows PV loss as group struggles to survive
Toshiba has reported a group net loss of JPY 965.7 billion ($8.8 billion) for fiscal 2016, as its energy systems and solutions business — which which builds solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower projects, in addition to battery-based energy storage systems and smart meters — posted an operating loss of JPY 41.7 billion in the 12 months to the end of March 2017, marking a significant improvement from the preceding fiscal year.
...Households-as-power-stations could reduce energy consumption by 60% across UK
If homes across the U.K. were designed to generate, store and release their own solar energy, household fuel bills could be cut by £600 a year, finds a report.
...Smart Solar begins building 34 MW in northern Japan
Smart Solar has started installing 34 MW of solar on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. The project will include 14.4 MWh of lithium-ion storage capacity.
...Philadelphia Solar to build 12 MWh storage system at Jordan PV park
The lithium-ion large-scale battery will be the biggest in the Middle East once commissioned this year by Al Badiya, a subsidiary of Philadelphia Solar.
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