More than a year after the world’s largest renewable energy developer went under, Judge Stuart Bernstein has approved a deal that will allow it to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings over the objections of shareholders and two investors.
Announcement
pv magazine test
Reputation and quality are everything in the world of solar, which is why the return of the pv magazine module test should excite solar module manufacturers eager to see their products shine. And we want to do our bit to help showcase the best modules in the industry – so get in touch today to learn more about the pv magazine module test.
Announcement
Upcoming Roundtables at SPI
Register now for our upcoming Roundtables at SPI in Las Vegas:
Both events are free of charge!
Announcement
Array Changing Technologies 2017
A new format for 2017 sees the Array Changing Technologies feature split over three issues. A panel of European experts assessed the tech shaping Europe’s solar market for June, with a similarly experienced panel on board for July’s North American selection. The winner will be announced in September, so read on to discover which of the 20 entries have been shortlisted for the top prize!
Installations
Kong Sun forecasts H1 profit of $5.9 million
The Chinese PV investor said it may record a net profit of up to CNY 40 million ($5.9 million) for the first half of 2017. The preliminary figures point to a sharp turnaround from last year, as it posted a net loss of CNY 124.4 million in the first six months of 2016.
Markets & Policy
Spain’s auction allocates 3.5 GW of PV capacity
Solar had the largest share in Spain’s renewable energy auction, leaving wind power, which won all the allocated capacity in the previous auction, with just 720 MW.
Technology
UNIST achieves 22.1% efficiency in perovskite solar cell
Researchers at South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) announced a new world for efficiency in hybrid inorganic-organic perovskite solar cells, at 22.1%.
Energy Storage
Malaysian researchers test demand response with residential PV systems
New research sheds light on the benefits of demand response applications in a low voltage distribution network with an integrated PV system.
Installations
Australia: 10 remote Aboriginal communities add 3.325 MW solar
Aimed at phasing out diesel fuel for electricity generation in remote Aboriginal communities, the Solar Energy Transformation Program (SETuP) has switched on solar PV systems for the first 10 indigenous communities in Australia’s Northern Territory
Energy Storage
UK’s Lightsource and BlackRock team on £1bn solar strategy
British renewable energy developer Lightsource has entered into a £1 billion partnership with asset manager BlackRock Real Assets to create Kingfisher, which will target 1 GW of solar capacity in the U.K. Partnership will also eye storage opportunities.
Installations
China’s PV generation spikes 75% in H1
Solar projects generated about 51,800 GWh of electricity throughout China in the first half of 2017, up 75% year on year, according to preliminary statistics from the National Energy Administration (NEA).
Markets & Policy
Featured
Turmoil in residential solar
U.S. residential: After years of steady, relentless growth, the U.S. residential solar market is struggling with challenges on both the policy and customer acquisition fronts. And as the market diversifies away from California and the Northeast, the future is far from clear.
Cypress Creek secures $450 million in funding
“This agreement accelerates our mission to put as much solar in the ground as soon as possible”
...India launches AD probe against Chinese, Taiwanese and Malaysian solar cells
Country’s Directorate General of Anti-Dumping states that it has identified a causal link between dumping and injury of Indian firms, enough to warrant the initiation of the investigation.
...Azerbaijan commissions 1.1 MW solar plant in Pirallahi island
The project is the first phase of the 2.8 MW Pirallahi PV power plant and part of the Government’s 2014-2020 energy strategy which aims to deploy over 600 MW of solar by 2020.
...Installations
Featured
Blue is the new black
Utilities and solar: The old structures of centralized power generation are slowly being eroded by a combination of more affordable solar PV and cleantech innovation. Many of Europe’s big utilities were initially resistant to this changing of the old guard, but a growing number are now realigning their business structures to place PV at the forefront.
Redavia provides gold mine in Tanzania with more solar power
The company has increased the mine’s PV power generation capacity to 674 kW with the supply of another solar container.
...Gransolar finalizes 35.4 MW solar project in northern Mexico
The Spanish developer has built the project for Balam Fund, which acquired it in April 2016.
...India: Tata Power Solar commissions 2.67 MW solar carport project
A total of 27 carports at India’s Cochin International Airport, the first airport in the world to run completely on solar power, are now up and running.
...Italy’s CESI helps Bahrain implement solar program
The Italian company will provide technical assistance for the implementation of a net metering scheme for decentralized renewable and solar energy projects under Bahrain’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP).
...Technology
Featured
Unleashing the sun
Off-grid in Nigeria: With the largest unelectrified population in Africa, Nigeria holds great promise for off-grid solar companies. Progress on electrifying the country can be accelerated by improving government policies.
Organic electrode material could boost lithium ion capacity
Researchers at Germany’s Helmholtz Institute have developed a new electrode material which could improve the capacity and charge/discharge speed of lithium-ion technology, as well as reducing for costly cobalt in the batteries.
...Australia’s Greatcell signs MOU with JinkoSolar
Under a non-exclusive Memorandum of Understanding with JinkoSolar, Greatcell noted it would make available developmental perovskite cells for further evaluation.
...U.S. university CPV system outperforms silicon by 54% in test
A single-cell concentrating photovoltaic system developed by researchers at Penn State University reportedly reached 30% efficiency, and generated 54% more energy during a two-day test than a commercial silicon solar in the same conditions.
...Leaked DOE study draft: U.S. grids are getting more reliable, not less
A leaked draft of the study ordered by Energy Secretary Perry appears to show what we already knew: That grids are getting more reliable, not less, as wind and solar are added. But the political tampering with the facts may already be happening.
...Manufacturing
Featured
When the levee breaks
Solar and delisting: Trina Solar’s departure from the NYSE could signal a wave of solar firms leaving U.S. stock markets. But many uncertainties remain.
SolarWorld: short-term solution from investor seems possible
The provisional insolvency administrator of the German module manufacturer is now in talks with a potential investor for the acquisition of the company’s German manufacturing facilities in Freiberg and Arnstadt. Around 1,200 employees will be transferred to a transitional company.
...VDMA: solar equipment orders increase 328% in Q1
A report published by German engineering federation VDMA reveals strong demand for solar production equipment, with order intake in the first quarter of 2017 tripling over the previous quarter. The book to bill ratio of orders to delivered systems hit the ‘very high’ level of 4.4 for the first quarter of 2017
...China H1 solar panel production surges 25% in a year
Data from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) reveals a 25.9% rise in solar module production over the first six months of the year, reaching 34 GW. Q2 utilization rates stood at 85%, data shows.
...Meyer Burger receives new equipment order worth CHF 22 million
Swiss PV equipment supplier Meyer Burger has received a further order for its MAiA PERC production platform SiNA cell coating system from an existing customer based in Asia. The combined contract for both technologies amounts to CHF 22 million ($23.2 million).
...Energy Storage
Another quarter, another encouraging period of battery storage and smart grid investment growth: the second quarter (Q2) of 2017 has seen venture capital (VC) funding reach $422 million for 10 deals in the battery storage sector, finds the latest VC funding report by Mercom Capital Group. Almost the entirety of this figure was comprised of […]
VC funding for battery, smart grid and efficiency tech tops $1bn in H1 2017, finds Mercom report
More than $1 billion raised in the first half of 2017 by battery storage, smart grid and energy efficiency companies – up from $807m in H1 2016, finds latest Mercom Capital Group report.
...UK: Nearly 126,000 employed in thriving renewables industry, report shows
In the first year energy storage and electric vehicle sectors are included, REA’s annual publication reveals a 2.5% YoY increase in the number of jobs in the renewable energy industry, but also a significant decline in growth from two years previous when it was at nearly 9%. The Association points to negative policy changes as the reason behind the downward trend.
...UK to unveil £246m battery investment strategy
Business and energy secretary Greg Clark to announce on Monday focused strategy designed to modernize the U.K.’s energy sector and bring more renewables into the fold via sustained support for storage technology.
...London: New tool predicts cost effectiveness of electrical energy storage
As costs are driven down by the economies of scale and improvements in manufacturing and deployments, new technologies are finding their way to widespread adoption, as seen in the case of solar modules. In order to facilitate the prediction of costs and outcomes for new energy storage technologies, a team of researchers from Imperial College London has developed a tool to help policy makers and investors make informed decisions.
...Keep up to date
pv magazine offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. Stay informed. Join our newsletter.
Press Releases
LG Electronics and Grasshopper Solar Announce Solar Power Partnership LG Electronics and Grasshopper Solar announce solar power partnership
Grasshopper Solar is pleased to announce its partnership with LG Electronics. Today, all of Grasshopper's Guaranteed Funding solar system installations in Ontario will feature LG solar panels.
Heraeus Photovoltaics and Tongwei Solar join forces to develop new generations of solar cell technologies
Heraeus Photovoltaics, the worldwide leading supplier of metallization solutions to the PV industry, announced today that it has established a cooperation agreement with Tongwei Solar on the R&D and applications of new-generation solar cell technologies, including black silicon, PERC technology and other high-efficiency technologies. Based in Chengdu, China, Tongwei Solar is one of the world’s […]
Hanwha Q Cells becomes international partner of RB Leipzig
Hanwha Q CELLS international partner and exclusive partner regarding solar energy for RB Leipzig. Partnership over two years with option for renewal.
KOSTAL Solar Electric – The new PIKO 36 EPC for large projects
The cost-optimized project inverter, with a maximum efficiency of 98. 7% and optional overvoltage protection for AC, DC and communication, is especially well-suited for large projects.