Highlights

Around 40 billion kWh of clean electricity will be generated by PV systems in Germany during the first nine months of the year. According to calculations by the German Solar Industry Association, the total generation figure from last year will soon be reached.

The 17 MW installation, to be located in the southern region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, is expected to begin commercial operations in March.

This year’s version of Berkeley Lab’s Tracking the Sun report saw residential installs fall 6% to $3.50 / W, small business fall 11% to $2.90 / W and large business fell 5% to $2.20 /W in 2017, with light changes in early 2018. However, these averages cover wide price variances in different markets.

The German module manufacturer is planning a further expansion of capacity in Europe. In France and Armenia, new production lines for solar cells and modules are planned to start this year.

The world’s number one poly maker claims the worst of the fall-out after Beijing’s policy change has already occurred, and will press ahead with plans to expand production capacity – but its development business may need to find new sources of funding.

At pv magazine‘s first quality roundtable in Latin America – at Intersolar South America in Sao Paulo – we were joined by international players such as JinkoSolar and DuPont, as well as public and private Latin American entities striving to bring more quality to the PV supply chain from the US-Mexico border to Tierra del Fuego.

The second day of REI in Greater Noida continues to attract large numbers of delegates, with the exhibition halls crowded, and conferences well attended. During an EU-Indian session this morning, India’s CEEW boldly stated that India is the largest clean energy market in the world, which will operate on market-friendly principles. Overall, CEO, Arunabha Ghosh outlined four basic vows needed for the Indian renewables market to grow; and said decarbonzation of the industrial sector should be the next big focus for renewables.

The role of SunPower’s planned purchase of SolarWorld Americas in getting a rare reprieve from the Trump Administration’s bellicose trade actions is unclear.

The 12th Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo opened its doors today; the booming music and bright sunshine mirroring India’s ambitious goals to become the biggest RE market in the world. In the opening conference, the government’s commitment to renewables was underlined, while BNEF said the country will have one of the highest penetrations of solar and wind, globally, by 2050. Companies are also starting to look to India for manufacturing opportunities, although the landscape is still filled with uncertainty.

Taiwanese solar cell manufacturer, Motech has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 300 and further adjust production capacity, while Sino-American Silicon’s CEO has revealed the company may exit the wafer business.