Manufacturing

Chinese PV aspirant Tongwei’s 5 GW PV cell facilities may take several years to realize, analysts caution, while its downstream ambitions in China could see significant capacity realized. Fab fit out likely to lead to orders from Chinese and non-Chinese production equipment vendors alike.

Capital costs for lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are expected to come down by around 50% over the next five years, as a result of increased renewables generation, among other factors, finds Lazard in a new study looking at the levelised cost of storage (LCOS). Currently, energy storage is not cost-competitive with most applications, however. In a separate study, Lazard, analyzed LCOEs in the U.S. Utility-scale PV was found to be competitive against conventional energies, while rooftop solar still requires “significant” subsidization.

Hanwha’s takeover of Q Cells is bearing fruit, with Q3 recording significantly improved earnings results. In addition to a return to net profitability, Hanwha Q Cells Co. Ltd has raised its gross margin forecasts for Q4, and expects shipments to increase at least two-fold. Capacity expansions are on the cards for both this year and 2016.

China’s JinkoSolar continues to grow shipments in Q3, to 1.345 GW of modules, however its gross income on an annual basis has suffered, due to a number of factors including currency devaluation, stock based compensation expenses and income tax liabilities.

Record revenue and shipments underline strong third quarter for the Chinese solar firm that surpassed high end guidance forecast from Q2; China represented more than half of its total shipments.

Local reports suggest the Chinese solar firm has penned a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop its 2 GW, Rs 2,800 crore solar manufacturing facility in Atchutapuram.

Fast-growing tracker supplier NEXTracker will produce tracking technology at parent company Flextronic’s Brazilian facilities. The move will allow it to meet local content requirements in what CEO Dan Shugar describes as “the next frontier in Latin American solar deployment.”

Energy Minister Amber Rudd delivers speech calling for an end to ‘outdated’ energy source, with natural gas and nuclear power to be ramped up to plug the power gap.

Consultancy firm says landmark was reached in October, adding as much solar capacity in the past 12 months as the three years that preceded it; next 12 months will see slight slowdown, with 455 MW installed.

Italian utility Enel is moving towards the repurchase of renewable developer Enel Green Power (EGP). The move is the key part of Enel’s stepping up of its renewable activity, as CEO Francesco Starace looks to EGP becoming “one of the growth engines of the Enel Group.”