Carbon aims to start 500 MW pilot production at module factory in France
Carbon, a French PV module maker, says its new €1.7 billion ($1.8 billion) manufacturing facility will initially produce TOPCon products.
Spain’s storage deployments hit 495 MWh in 2023
According to new data from trade body UNEF, Spain reached 1.823 MWh of cumulative storage capacity at the end of December 2023.
German PV system prices down by over 4% since November
The Selfmade Energy online platform says that prices for PV systems and battery storage systems fell by more than 4% between November 2023 and March 2024. In March, for example, 6 kW PV systems without batteries were sold for between €1.66 ($1.79)/W and €2.10/W.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Tongwei gets $5.4 billion polysilicon order from Longi
Tongwei has agreed to provide more than 862,400 tons of polysilicon to Longi from 2024 to 2026.
‘We must push back on net billing’
With California’s NEM 3.0 legislation having gutted panel sales and Arizona heading a bevy of other US states preparing to reduce solar-export payments, it’s time the United States solar industry stepped up, for ourselves as well as our customers.
Chinese power company to build 160 MW of solar in Bangladesh
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and China Huadian Corp. have agreed to install 160 MW of PV in Bangladesh. The solar facility will be deployed in an area that was originally designated to host a coal power plant.
Grew Energy begins work on 3.2 GW ingot-module factory in India
Grew Energy has started building a 3.2 GW ingot-module factory in India. The facility will produce 2.8 GW of ingots, wafers, and cells per year, along with 3.2 GW of high-efficiency PV modules.
New PV system design strategy avoids oversizing, curtailment
A group of scientists in Thailand has outlined a new approach to avoid oversizing and overvoltage in energy markets applying volt-watt droop curtailment strategies. The novel methodology leads to a reduction in a PV system’s net present value but also increases its levelized cost of energy.
EU updates guidance on permitting procedures, auction design for renewables
The European Commission has shared updated documents with its member states for speeding up permitting procedures and designing auctions for renewables. It includes the use of non-price criteria in auctions, which the commission says will allow higher value-added projects to be rewarded.
Climate disaster hits solar in southern Brazil
Heavy rains recently triggered floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state when Lake Guaíba and the Taquari River and Uruguay River overflowed, reaching more than 5.30 meters and affecting more than 1.95 million people. The death toll stands at 143, with 125 still missing. The authorities still have yet to assess the losses from submerged or affected PV plants.
