More than 11 million PV inverters will be shipped in 2019 alone, and most of these will be connected to a software platform and controlled by the inverter companies. This creates an opportunity for suppliers to create new models and revenue sources, writes Cormac Gilligan, research and analysis manager at IHS Markit. And indeed, in recent years inverter suppliers have been rapidly developing ‘Internet of things’ software platforms to take advantage of this.

Although the National Energy Administration (NEA) held a seminar to talk about the development of the 13th five-year plan last November, a positive signal for domestic demand, the Chinese government still has not released new official targets for solar, as of February 2019.

Despite a number of unfavorable policy announcements, the global PV market still added 101 GW in 2018. It looks likely that this momentum will continue this year, with as much as 110 GW of new capacity expected.

The Turkish solar market finds itself at a crossroads in 2019, with previous policy settings coming to an end and more questions than answers being raised by recent government efforts. While the YEKA projects to date have delivered little in terms of installations, Muren Guler from Global Energy Ltd believes that ‘Mini YEKA’ could provide just the boost manufacturers, suppliers, and developers are looking for.

There is no denying that Turkey is an ideal fit for a major solar market and key player in the PV sector, located on the border between east and west. But while the country has shone as a solar star this decade, writes Eren Engür, Managing Partner at Icarus Energy, it is quickly fading as the government has failed to promote a sustainable solar sector. However, this could be about to change.

The Swiss energy company said it was chosen by Urbasolar’s owners as the preferred buyer among a list of high-ranking bidders.

The energy ministry has published a plan for renewables auctions for this year and next. Under the program, Greece’s energy regulator has announced the next PV tender will take place in the summer.

Two government agencies and the Port of Rotterdam are planning to deploy the installation at De Slufter, a 250-hectare depot for contaminated sediment.

Despite outperforming rivals in terms of revenue and curtailment levels, solar apparently didn’t do enough to deflect the board away from plans to focus on energy-from-waste.

There are four PV projects and all the facilities will use bifacial panels provided by the Brazilian factory of the Chinese-Canadian manufacturer.

Solar power has broken two records. It offered the lowest tariff in Greece’s first joint PV-wind tender – a payment level that is also the lowest ever awarded a Greek PV project.

Utility SaskPower has closed the request for qualification phase for a 10 MW plant which prompted 22 applications from 13 companies. The province wants 60 MW of renewables by 2021. The tender for a first PV plant of the same size was finalized by SaskPower in June.

The procurement scheme has a budget of €385 million and is open to all renewable energies. Auctions will be held by the country’s National Commission for Energy Control and Prices.

What is your recommendation for investors when buying PERC modules? Can LeTID loss be completely recovered in the field? Can one be sure that there is no LID and LeTID in n-type cells? Presenters, Andrea Viaro, head of technical service Europe, JinkoSolar, Stefan Roest , CTO, Eternal Sun & Spire Solar and Paul Grunow, technology consultant, board of the PI Photovoltaic Institute Berlin AG answer these and other questions from a recent pv magazine webinar.

The funds will be used for electrification projects in West Africa and the Sahel to bring electricity to 1.7 million people.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory have found a mechanism for creating a charge in molecular materials. The findings, say the team, could lead to new approaches in the design of PV devices.

As Volodymyr Zelensky celebrates his victory in the Ukrainian presidential elections, stakeholders in the country remain uncertain about his intentions in the renewable energy space. With installation figures above 1 GW in the last 12 months, the market is hot — but for how much longer?

Despite the difficulties its solar manufacturing industry faces, the Taiwanese government is ramping up its R&D efforts to measure the efficiency of what it calls “new-generation light-driven photovoltaics”.

The state grid operator has shown that for most of the period between 1:50 PM and 3:05 PM on Sunday, more carbon emission-free electricity than users demanded was generated in its region.

The Netherlands’ Organisation for Applied Scientific Research says renewables would not only contribute to a cheaper energy system but would also create more opportunities for new business, exports and jobs – as well as a cleaner environment.

In preparation for the next pv magazine webinar “New approach for bifacial modules and yield expectations” on Monday 29 April, 2pm – 3pm (CEST), Andrea Viaro, head of technical service Europe, JinkoSolar and Lucie Garreau-iles, technical manager, EMEA, DuPont, in the following answer the questions by pv magazine on why create an alternative to the bifacial glass-glass-modules

Founding chairman Li Hejun is too busy travelling to promote the company to also manage day-to-day operations. His sisters will hold the stock on his behalf, however.

Taiwanese manufacturer E-Ton Solar said it will halt solar cell production due to strong price pressure. It is now seeking to sell two of its three manufacturing facilities in southern Taiwan, while its shares have been suspended from trading on Taiwan’s stock exchange.

Narendra Modi’s BJP party is seeking re-election with the aim of ensuring the electrification of all railways by 2022 and turning renewable energy into a popular movement with steps including an emphasis on solar farming. Even if the elections spring a surprise, however, the renewable momentum is unlikely to slow as no government can afford to roll back the clean power tide.

With concerns over the mountains of PV system waste that will one day pile up around the world, Bangladesh is no exception – the nation currently has no solar panel recycling policy.

Coming hot on the heels of major reports and a heated public debate about electric vehicles, a poll commissioned by the Climate Council has confirmed Australians believe electric cars are the future. Another poll, by The Australia Institute, has 50% of Australian voters supporting all car sales being electric by 2025.

The storage supplier will set up a mixed-asset virtual power plant that will initially aggregate up to 2 MW of capacity as the first phase of a planned smart local energy system in southern England. Moixa aims to eventually scale the VPP up to 17 MW.

The Consortium for Battery Innovation has produced an interactive, online map highlighting the location of lead-battery storage installations worldwide.

Mobility company Shuttl will also set up more than 50 EV charging points in prime locations and state-run power distributor BSES Rajdhani Power Limited will invest in testing facilities to support stabilizing the grid for EV charging, as well as pilot schemes on effectively integrating renewable electricity into its network.

Washington is looking to become the fourth state to make the move to 100% renewable electricity, with only a senate review and the hand of Governor Inslee left in the path of SB 5116.