Hanwha Q Cells opens largest solar factory in the Western Hemisphere
The 300,000 sq ft factory in Dalton, Georgia has the capacity to produce 12,000 PV modules per day – 1.7 GW worth annually for panels able to produce the same peak generating capacity as the Hoover Dam.
Austria scraps its sun tax
The nation’s political parties have found agreement on a green electricity package which is expected to create stable conditions for the next three years. From next year, €36 million will be made available annually for the further support of PV systems and energy storage.
International Energy Agency forecasts 115 GW of new solar this year
The global expansion of PV, wind power and other clean energies will see double-digit growth this year as solar continues to lead the pack.
Canada’s Saskatchewan province to halt net metering for solar
Utility SaskPower is set to close the net metering open to systems up to 100 kW in size once a 16 MW cumulative generation capacity limit is reached in the province.
Germany lifts cap on solar FIT program with new Climate Change Act
While the solar industry will welcome the move, the feed-in tariff paid to small systems is still reducing thanks to the volume of new capacity installed every quarter. Announcing a wide-ranging policy package on Friday, Angela Merkel admitted Germany will miss the carbon emission target set for next year.
Live fast, die young: MIT study proposes use of 10-year panels
Research has found even short-lived, 10 to 15-year solar panels could provide enough return for bankable projects. The researchers believe panel costs, coupled with an industry mindset now fixed on the final solar energy price rather than costs per kilowatt installed, may open opportunities for PV products currently snubbed because of a short lifecycle.
Tender for megawatt scale solar-plus-storage launched in Sri Lanka
A planned 10 MW solar project will be coupled with a storage system with a minimum capacity of 8 MWh. The facility will be near Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka.
Mongolia tenders 10 MW solar plant
The project, planned for Khovd in the west of the country, is being developed with the support of the World Bank.
South Africa’s water-energy nexus leaves room for improvement
A team of researchers modeled the country’s energy future, finding that the drought plagued municipalities could benefit massively from large scale renewables deployment. The current reliance on coal-fired power stations causes immense water consumption, worsening the problem.
Google buys power from another 1.6 GW of renewables
The new deals worth $2 billion in new investments were made by the Internet giant in in the U.S., Chile and Europe.
