Finance

If solar-powered irrigation pumps can be rolled out in a responsible manner at scale, the impact on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa could be transformational.

The authorities in Ireland have opened a €20 million ($21.5 million) fund for energy research and innovation. It will support projects contributing to the nation’s clean energy transition, such as heat decarbonization and energy storage.

The Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA) says total investment in the off-grid solar sector stood at $425 million in 2023, down 43% year on year. It says the industry needs to address a lack of early-stage financing to meet development and climate targets.

Longi recorded 67.5 GW of solar module shipments in 2023, according to its latest financial results. The Chinese module maker reported revenue of $17.9 billion and a net profit of $1.49 billion for the year.

Tongwei, Canadian Solar, TCL Zhonghuan and JA Solar all reported significantly higher profits in 2023.

The latest Sinovoltaics financial stability report ranking lists Tainergy, Eterbright, First Solar, Era Solar, and TSEC as the top five module makers. There was a slight reshuffling in the top ten, and seven new manufacturers were added to the ranking.

The European Commission has selected the winners of European Hydrogen Bank’s first auction, with bids coming in below €0.50 ($0.54)/kg, while Chile and Namibia have revealed new hydrogen plans.

University of Michigan researchers have found that the value of rooftop solar will increase by between 5% and 15% by the mid-century across a range of US cities under moderate climate change, and by up to 20% by the end of the century.

US-based First Solar recorded $794 million of revenue in the first quarter, beating consensus estimates by about 10%.

Researchers in Sweden have investigated incentive programs for rooftop PV and proposed the adaptation of future schemes to different investor profiles.