South Korean regional governments bypass minimum distance rules to allow solar PV
Jaebin Choe, renewables permitting team researcher at environmental advocacy organization Solutions for our Climate (SFOC), told pv magazine that some South Korean regional governments have been forced to pass exceptional clauses to allow the construction of solar PV arrays in their municipalities despite federal regulation. The association claims this represents the ‘biggest bottleneck’ in the country’s solar pursual.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: BAJsolar commissions 10 GW solar cell factory
BAJsolar has finished building a 10 GW solar cell factory in eastern China. It has invested CNY 2.6 billion ($355.75 million) in the new facility.
Sliding solar module prices squeezing European manufacturers
Plummeting module prices are weighing on European manufacturers, but the impact on wholesalers is differently, as warehouse conditions are showing signs of improvement.
Construction begins on massive, merchant wind-solar hybrid plant in Bulgaria
Tenevo Solar plant is expected have a solar capacity of 238 MW, a wind capacity of 237 MW and a storage capacity of 250 MW-500 MWh, with construction starting this month. Konstantin Nenov, director of Renalfa AD – one of the businesses behind the project – tells pv magazine the plant is emblematic of the Balkan country shifting away from coal and towards the sun.
October 14 eclipse to cost US states up to 17% of daily solar generation
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that North and South America are set to experience an annular eclipse on October 14, which means that some regions could lose a significant portion of their daily solar energy production. The path of the eclipse tracks across the southwestern United States, from Oregon to Texas, before continuing through Mexico, Central America and ending in Brazil, though impacts will be seen across all of the contiguous US and the top of South America.
RCT Power opens new hybrid inverter production lines in Germany
RCT Power says it has expanded its production capacity to 600 MW with two new hybrid inverter lines in Germany.
Irish Solar Energy Association raises concerns over failure rates in renewables auctions
Conall Bolger, CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA), has told pv magazine that while it was ‘good’ news the Irish government favored solar PV projects in the latest renewable auction, less than half of solar PV projects selected in the first tender round of the same program would not ‘reach the finish line.’
Solar wafer prices fall for first time in 3 months
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.
Solarstone opens 60 MW BIPV module factory in Estonia
Solarstone, an Estonian producer of building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solar roofs, has opened a 60 MW manufacturing facility in Viljandi, Estonia, to produce a broader range of design and performance specifications.
Iberdrola completes Spain’s first hybrid wind-solar plant
Iberdrola has finished building Spain’s first hybrid wind-solar project, featuring a 74 MW solar plant and a 69 MW wind farm.
