Chinese PV Industry Brief: CHN Energy buys 10 GW of solar modules at $0.15/W
CHN Energy has acquired 10 GW of solar modules at $0.15/W in its most recent solar module procurement round. The state-owned company says it bought 3.21 GW of panels from Longi, 740 MW from Tongwei, 2.49 GW from Astronergy, and 3.56 GW from JinkoSolar.
India’s Waaree secures US order for 1.5 GW of TOPCon solar modules
India’s Waaree has signed a three-year deal with Acciona to supply 1.5 GW of TOPCon solar modules for the Spanish developer’s PV installations in the United States from 2024 to 2026.
Maharlika Consortium wins Philippines microgrid tender
The Philippines Department of Energy says the Maharlika Consortium – representing three companies – will develop two microgrid hybrid solar and diesel generator power plants for “underserved” communities located on Panlaitan island and the island of Mindoro.
Renewables helping China to halve power prices compared to US, Europe
Wood Mackenzie says in a new report that China could install 230 GW of PV and wind capacity and export more than 200 GW of solar panels in 2023. Unlike Europe and United States, the country is avoiding the high curtailment of PV and wind.
Solarwatt announces 85 layoffs
German module manufacturer Solarwatt blamed market disruptions and very low module prices for its decision to lay off 10% of employees at the end of the year.
Casting the net for solar recruits
Solar-industry companies need to forget ideas about office-based roles and look far afield to source the recruits necessary for the energy transition – and then they need to keep them loyal by offering a rewarding career.
Japan’s 18th solar auction concludes with lowest bid of $0.053/kWh
Japan’s latest procurement exercise was open to PV projects above 250 kW in size. The lowest price came in at JPY 7.94 ($0.053)/kWh, with 105 MW of allocated capacity.
Polysilicon prices could hit all-time low by year-end
Bernreuter Research says in a new report that it expects polysilicon prices to soon dip below the historical low of $6.75/kg, which was reached in June 2020. It says global polysilicon capacity could hit 2.95 million metric tons (MT) by the end of December, with just 200,000 MT of the total outside of China.
Chad launches tender for engineer to oversee 30 MW PV plant construction
The Republic of Chad has started accepting applications for a consulting engineer to supervise the construction of a 30 MW (AC) ground-mounted solar power plant – with a 60 MWh storage system, 90 kV line and 90/33 kV substation – near the national capital, N’Djamena.
Performance parameters for residential heat pumps linked to PV, storage
German researchers measured a PV-powered heat pump with battery storage in a single-family home in Freiburg, Germany, for a period of a year. It features smart grid-ready tech that adjusts operations based on the grid.
