Highlights

Tianjin Zhonghuan Semiconductor began building its new wafer manufacturing facility in the Ningxia Hui autonomous region. Shanghai Electric is setting up a hydrogen research center with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Chilean Minister of Energy and Mining has announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to export green hydrogen to the Port of Rotterdam. The deal adds to the one signed with Singapore in early March to identify the best routes to reach Asian markets.

The South African Department of Energy has launched yesterday the fifth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program (REIPPPP). It seeks to procure 1 GW of PV and 1.6 GW of wind power.

Canadian Solar is pivoting towards energy storage and is preparing to IPO its manufacturing and Chinese solar project activity in China, under the CSI Solar operation, by July.

Romanian manufacturer Karpat Solar has acquired a 100 MW panel production line from Spanish provider Mondragon. The manufacturing facility will be located in Transylvania.

Renewable electricity will be linked to 90% of the actions needed to remove carbon emissions in 2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, and the biggest volume of generation capacity will be provided by solar.

The new panel was conceived for applications in the rooftop segment. It features an efficiency of up to 20.5% and a power rating of 360/455 W. The Slovenian module manufacturer used 166×166 mm wafers for the new product, as it claims they currently provide the best power and size ratio.

Italian research agency ENEA is planning to build a €14 million ‘hydrogen valley’ in the province of Rome. pv magazine has spoken with its director of the department of energy technologies and renewable sources, Giorgio Graditi, and has found out that the project will also include the production of hydrogen from photovoltaics.

Here are the brand-new stats and forecasts from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie.

Battery storage manufacturer RedEarth has partnered with a major Australian housing developer to offer new-home buyers solar and solar/battery systems tailored to their needs from the get go – and with the opportunity to sell excess energy at optimized prices where the grid needs it most.