Finance

Flat Glass wants shareholders to back a $213 million convertible bond issue to provide the cash to raise its PV glass production capacity to 1.65 million tons per year. The company has already ramped up output so fast it is running short of funds.

On May 21, the triple-A rated nation will issue 20-year bonds for sustainable investments undertaken by its government. Eligible projects will include large scale renewable energy plants developed under the SDE+ incentive program.

Echoing a growing appetite for corporate renewable power purchase agreements in Australia, Ascham School has become the first in New South Wales to ink a long-term deal with commercial electricity retailer Flow Power.

Having declared a climate emergency last week, the U.K. government is considering raising VAT rates from 5% to 20% on ‘energy saving materials’ in the home. While the tax authorities are blaming Europe, trade body the REA has pointed out the 5% rate would still apply for coal used for domestic heating.

The government of the Central American country with the highest installed PV capacity wants to renegotiate contracts awarded in 2015 under an incentive regime. While domestic companies have reportedly agreed to reduce tariffs, international investors are said to be in no mood to capitulate.

The back-contact solar cell is said to have a conversion efficiency of around 7%. According to researchers, the cell design includes the removal of expensive transparent conductive oxides.

Though PV will remain in the shadow of wind and hydropower in the north of Europe, an ambitious solar deployment scenario in Sweden could lift the market into the gigawatt club through to 2040.

New PV installations under the nation’s net metering scheme grew 137% year-on-year from January to March, according to consultancy Greener, and module imports registered even greater growth, signalling activity in the distributed generation segment is increasing at a faster pace. With the regulator mooting changes to the net metering regime, however, it may reflect customers rushing to secure current tariffs.

Ministers have reaffirmed plans for a Franco-German battery industry. The project is being supported in principle by the European Commission, which could give its approval by October. Meanwhile, German storage specialist Tesvolt is building a commercial storage system factory in Germany.

The Israeli power electronics maker’s revenues and shipments keep rising as it absorbs more companies, but the pending increase in Section 301 tariffs leaves some clouds in the future.