Chinese solar giant steps in to acquire rival in $250m swoop
Longi Solar has dramatically stepped in to take over fellow Chinese manufacturer Zhejiang Yize New Energy Technology, which operates 7 GW of module production capacity and 3 GW of cell facilities in northern Vietnam.
Solar projects reprieved as Indian government declares coronavirus a force majeure
Lobby group the National Solar Energy Federation of India says around 4 GW of solar plant capacity is likely to be affected by component shortages after the outbreak of the virus in China.
Off-grid solar changes lives – but could help many more of the world’s energy poor
A study has attempted to provide detailed analysis of the beneficial impact off-grid renewables, led by solar, are having on people in the world’s least developed countries.
Ukraine has 350 MW of solar under net metering
Around 240 MW of new installations were deployed from October 2018 to the end of September and approximately 70 MW were installed in the third quarter of last year alone, according to the responsible state body.
Debt-saddled solar developer has state appointee take over as chairman and CEO
Zhang Ping, a 30-year coal-fired power industry veteran, has taken the helm at Hong Kong-listed Panda Green, days after a $230 million bail-out by state-owned Beijing Energy Holding Co Ltd.
Dutch golf club to diversify with 147 MW solar park but will grid congestion bunker the plans?
PV project developer Solarfield is planning to build a plant under the SDE+ renewables incentives program. Construction is planned to start in 2021. The solar park will be in the province of Flevoland, one of the areas where grid congestion is jeopardizing the deployment of large scale solar.
Uzbekistan launches 400 MW solar tender
The central Asian nation and the International Finance Corporation are seeking proposals for two 200 MW solar parks planned in the Samarkand and Jizzakh regions. The projects will be awarded 25-year power purchase agreements.
First Solar announces surprise fourth-quarter loss, considers sale of development business
‘First Solar, at its core, is a technology and module manufacturing company,’ said Mark Widmar, chief executive of the U.S. company.
Tesla can continue to cut trees for German ‘gigafactory’
The company has secured approval from the Berlin-Brandenburg administrative court to start clearing 91 hectares of forest for its first European “gigafactory,” which is scheduled to start operations in summer 2021.
Vietnam might maintain FITs for 3 GW of approved large-scale PV projects
The transition from a feed-in tariff scheme to an auction mechanism may take longer than expected in the Southeast Asian country, as the Ministry of Industry and Trade is considering maintaining FITs of $0.0709/kWh to $0.0769/kWh for projects that secured approval before Nov. 23, 2019, if they come online as scheduled by the end of this year. According to law firm Lexcomm Vietnam, there are currently 3 GW of projects with licenses.
