Highlights

An array of new investment plans were announced in Greece in May, ranging from mega PV projects to battery and electric vehicle production, as well as a move to smart green islands. pv magazine explores the state of these investments and links them to the country’s general policy frameworks – most notably, Greece’s master plan to boost green investments in former lignite regions and establish a new type of economy.

Furthermore, Zhonghuan Semiconductor has slightly reduced its wafer prices, while Longi has maintained them unchanged. Flat Glass is raising funds to support the construction of a new glass factory with a total annual capacity of 750,000 metric tons.

Furthermore, Germany-based large-bore diesel engines and turbomachinery company MAN Energy Solutions is acquiring the majority of shares in the Augsburg-based electrolyzer manufacturer H-TEC Systems, while the India H2 Alliance is expanding with the aim of building consensus for a common path towards hydrogen commercialization in India’s steel and cement sectors.

Under the new provisions, which will come into force in 2023, a photovoltaic system will have to cover at least 30% of the roof area of a new building.

Western Australia utility Horizon Power has achieved a major milestone with the coastal town of Onslow powered 100% by solar PV and battery during a successful trial of what is one of Australia’s largest distributed energy resource microgrids.

The Polish perovskite solar cell specialist claims to be the first company in the world to have commissioned commercial production of the technology.

Belectric, Enerparc, Juwi and Baywa have almost 10 GW of project capacity under operation between them, according to monitoring service Solytic, roughly half the volume being managed by the next 32 biggest maintenance providers combined.

In a white paper, the three Chinese module manufacturers have reiterated the well-known refrain “bigger is not always better.” Experts from the three companies compared the BoS costs of 182mm-wafer-based modules and 210mm products, and found that the former have a slight advantage in racking, foundation, and land costs.

The investment has been planned as part of the nation’s recovery and resilience plan to access EU funds for its post-Covid economic stimulus package. The spending plans of Portugal and Greece have also been approved by the European Commission in the last 48 hours.

Jinchen Machinery has landed module production equipment orders from leading Indian solar manufacturers. It has already installed 2 GW of production lines and plans to supply the balance within three months. The company will open an India office in Surat, in the state of Gujarat.