Installations

Suniva recently said it will ramp up U.S. solar manufacturing capacity to 400 MW. The company told pv magazine it intends to complete the expansion by next year. Up to 500 full time jobs will be created in Georgia. It also confirmed the growing trend towards monocrystalline products.

The program will be crucial in evaluating how net-zero energy homes that generate and store their own energy impact the local electricity grid. California is aiming to have all new homes net-zero starting in 2020, and all new commercial buildings by 2030.

S&C Electric Company has been contracted by Half Moon Ventures (HMV) to supply and build a 7 MW lithium ion energy storage facility in Ohio. The system will be connected to a 4.2 MW solar PV plant thus making it the largest solar+storage system in the U.S., says S&C.

The Azraq refugee camp and three of Jordan’s universities are the latest additions to the country’s long list of solar subscribers, with plans to install 50 MW worth of PV. Jordan is increasingly turning to the renewable energy to combat its everyday energy dilemmas.

German solar panel developer teams with U.S. microinverter specialist Enphase Energy to produce SolarWorld Sunmodule panels integrated with microinverter technology.

On Monday, the 31st EU PVSEC in Hamburg, Germany opened its doors. Despite the current turbulence in the European solar industry, a high visitor turnout was seen at the opening conference. Future industry expectations are split: Either global installations will stagnate until 2020; or increase to 100 GW.

German solar PV equipment manufacturers are experiencing an uptick in demand, compared to the beginning of the year, with turnovers increasing 52%, says German Engineering Federation, VDMA. Asian competition is said to be intensifying, however.

Independent analysis of the impact of the Investment Tax Credit on the U.S. solar industry, commissioned by the SEIA, finds 22 GW of additional solar capacity will be added if 30% ITC extended to 2022.

Savings made under the government’s proposed budget cap should the FIT be cut by the proposed rate will be less than monies lost in tax and national insurance revenue as 15,000 jobs are lost, finds REA.

Trina Solar Limited is planning to spin-off its downstream solar PV project business as early as next year, said CFO, Teresa Tan. A “growthco” model is likely to be adopted, rather than a yieldco. Criticism has been aimed at the plan, due to Trina’s focus on China.