HopSol taps First Solar for Namibia's largest PV project
First Solar will supply its cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules to what will be Namibia’s largest PV power plant. At 5 MW, the Otjozondjupa Solar Park narrowly takes the title from the 4.5 MW Omburu Solar PV Park, which utilizes TSMC CIGS modules and was commissioned in May 2015.
Jinko ships 1.7 GW in Q4, revenues double YoY
Jinko Solar has registered record Q4 2015 shipments of 1.71 GW, bringing its annual shipment total module shipments to 4.51 GW. Revenues have surged to US$937.7 million for the quarter and $2.8 billion full year (FY), although gross margin declined YoY by 2.1% to 20.3%.
Daimler to follow Tesla with new 500 million lithium-ion battery factory
The battery subsidiary of German carmaker Daimler will begin construction of a new 500 million (US$544 million) lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in the third quarter of this year. The factory will produce batteries for electric and hybrid Mercedes-Benz and smart cars, along with stationary storage products for commercial and residential customers.
IHS: PV manufacturing margins grew to 22% in 2015
Driven by end-market growth in the U.S., India and China, PV manufacturing margins bounced back to 22% in 2015. IHS released the finding today, noting that improving margins for manufacturers could result in a “wave of capacity expansions.”
Greece adds only 8 MW in 2015; solar remains victim of politics
The Greek governments disastrous economic policy has decimated the solar sector at the moment when fresh hopes had started to emerge in the form of a new net metering regime.
Germany: 83 MW added in January
The weak performance of the German solar market continues, with Federal Network Agency reporting that 83.242 MW of PV was added to the country’s grid in January. Nine new ground mounted PV power plants were registered in the month.
Sun Electric commemorates its first retail of solar electricity in Singapore
Singapore’s Sun Electric has celebrated its first retailing of solar electricity in the island state. It plans to develop up to 20 MW of projects in 2016.
SunPower sets record C&I solar install time with Helix solution
An analysis by DNV GL indicates that SunPowers install time for commercial rooftop systems is as much as 2 1/2 times faster than competitors.
SolarCity creates new $249 million fund
SolarCity will launch a new tax equity fund, to finance $249 million of residential solar installations. The financing partner in the deal has not been identified, but SolarCity reports that it is the fourth fund the two firms have created in partnership.
SolarCity unveils smart energy home system in Hawaii
The California company’s Customer Self Supply program offers a customized combination of solar, battery storage, smart electric water heater and Nest Learning Thermostat.
