First Solar to re-start Vietnam factory for its Series 6
First Solar is scrambling to meet demand as the Section 201 case drives module hoarding, and may keep its Series 4 product running longer at its Malaysia plant.
UK’s Lightsource and BlackRock team on £1bn solar strategy
British renewable energy developer Lightsource has entered into a £1 billion partnership with asset manager BlackRock Real Assets to create Kingfisher, which will target 1 GW of solar capacity in the U.K. Partnership will also eye storage opportunities.
Cypress Creek secures $450 million in funding
“This agreement accelerates our mission to put as much solar in the ground as soon as possible”
VDMA: solar equipment orders increase 328% in Q1
A report published by German engineering federation VDMA reveals strong demand for solar production equipment, with order intake in the first quarter of 2017 tripling over the previous quarter. The book to bill ratio of orders to delivered systems hit the ‘very high’ level of 4.4 for the first quarter of 2017
UK: Nearly 126,000 employed in thriving renewables industry, report shows
In the first year energy storage and electric vehicle sectors are included, REA’s annual publication reveals a 2.5% YoY increase in the number of jobs in the renewable energy industry, but also a significant decline in growth from two years previous when it was at nearly 9%. The Association points to negative policy changes as the reason behind the downward trend.
Meyer Burger receives new equipment order worth CHF 22 million
Swiss PV equipment supplier Meyer Burger has received a further order for its MAiA PERC production platform SiNA cell coating system from an existing customer based in Asia. The combined contract for both technologies amounts to CHF 22 million ($23.2 million).
Scatec Solar’s revenue rise in Q2 on growing power production business
The Norwegian developer had a project backlog of 1,143 MW and a project pipeline of 745 MW at the end of the second quarter.
REC Silicon’s polysilicon sales rise 18% sequentially in Q2, net loss increases
The Norwegian polysilicon producer saw its revenue drop slightly Y-o-Y to $61.0 million in the latest quarter. Average solar grade polysilicon prices, on the other hand, dropped by 6.9% from the previous quarter.
ADB backs Thailand’s major IPP going green
As emerging economies in the ASEAN region search for new ways to access power amid growing demand, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is looking to encourage development of renewable energy projects. This time, it has spent more than $50 million on shares of Thailand’s B. Grimm Power Public Company, which is looking to diversify its energy generation portfolio.
Greece’s PPC utility targets 550 MW of new solar
Greece’s incumbent utility, the Public Power Corporation (PPC) has announced a target for new solar PV projects. The move, while justified, may come too late to save the PPC, which is trying to reduce its reliance on lignite and avoid bankruptcy.
