January 2021

Parent company hopes to raise $535 million from the move with $500 million worth of three-year senior notes owed by its solar project business due to mature on January 30.

The solar energy community will be part of a citizen energy community aimed at covering the energy needs of half of the citizens of an Italian, small northern municipality.

International researchers have developed a silicon heterojunction PV cell with textured surfaces to accommodate the perovskite top cell. They optimized the rear transparent electrode to collect as much albedo as possible and achieved five different perovskite bandgaps by altering the iodide-to-bromide ratio in the perovskites, resulting in a higher open-circuit voltage.

Solar developers have until Feb. 10 to bid for the capacity, which will be awarded through international competitive bidding, followed by a reverse auction.

For the first time since LevelTen Energy began tracking the U.S. market, solar power purchase agreement offer prices rose in 2020, with fourth-quarter prices 11.5% higher than a year earlier.

In the first instance, the Düsseldorf Regional Court in Germany ruled in favor of Hanwha Q-Cells, but Longi Solar has appealed the judgment. There is also still a struggle for the validity of the patent between the photovoltaic companies at the European Patent Office. In addition to Longi Solar, REC is also reporting another partial success in the legal dispute with the South Korean photovoltaic manufacturer.

The two French energy giants have announced a partnership agreement to develop, build and operate the Masshylia project – a 40 MW electrolyzer coupled with solar parks at the Total biorefinery in Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, in the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d´Azur.

The European Commission has finalized its long-anticipated investment agreement with China. While some renewable energy businesses might benefit from improved investment security, IP protection and access to legal remedies in China, the Commission did not address the issue of Uyghur forced labor in China. As a majority block in the European Parliament had previously demanded from the Commisison to develop a firm policy to end forced labor in China, there is reason for doubt that the agreement as it stands will be adopted by the EU Parliament.

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Oneida Energy Storage LP, a joint venture between NRStor and Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corp., have signed a memorandum of understanding for the Oneida Energy Storage project in Ontario.

Dutch company Rads Global Business has developed an anti-soiling coating for solar PV modules that is claimed to reduce cleaning cost by around 60%. The anti-reflective and anti-corrosive coating is also said to mitigate potential-induced degradation (PID).