SunPower borrows $110 million to refinance
The PV manufacturer plans to pay off the high-interest ‘mezzanine loan’ with revenue from its residential lease portfolio.
Hanwha Q Cells reports lower revenue, swings to loss in Q2
At US$518.4 million, the quarterly turnover of the South Korean-German manufacturer was down 10.3% year-on-year, while its net result swung from a profit of $18.7 million in the second quarter of 2017, to a loss of $41.3 million in the latest quarter. Despite this, the outlook for full fiscal 2018 remains unchanged.
Meyer Burger posts positive earnings for first half of 2018
The solar manufacturing equipment maker has posted an EBIT of US$15 million for the six-month period. It marks a return to profitability for the Swiss company, after major restructuring and cost optimization programs over the past 18 months.
Nissan Brazil and Federal University of Santa Catarina to cooperate on second-life EV battery research
As the global EV market grows, manufacturers are seeking new revenue streams for used EV batteries. Applications in grid and residential storage systems have become popular. The market for second-life EV batteries is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2025.
Another grid-scale battery heads to South Australia
A 25 MW / 52 MWh Tesla energy storage system will be installed at the Lake Bonney Wind Farm, in a state which already houses the world’s largest battery.
ET Solar joins forces with cash-rich rival to drive exports
With a wave of consolidation predicted, the module manufacturer has announced a strategic partnership which will see it open up its overseas sales network and scale to smaller peer Tunghsu Kangtu.
GCL-Poly issues profit warning
GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Ltd expects profits for the six months ended June 30, 2018, to drop between 60 and 70%, down from the around RMB 1.2 billion (US$173.6 million) it earned in the previous year.
China to file WTO complaint against US duties
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, the 30% import duties on Chinese PV products do not comply with the World Trade Organisation’s rules. The Chinese government added that its solar industry could be seriously damaged.
Peru introduces net metering, new DG rules for RE up to 10 MW
The Peruvian Government has submitted to public consultation the draft of Supreme Decree for the regulation of distributed generation (DG), which is the secondary legislation necessary to implement the DG law first promulgated in 2015. Talking to pv magazine, the president of the Society of Peruvian Renewable Energy explains how the new rules will not only introduce a net-billing scheme for installations up to 200 kW, but also a scheme for projects up to 10 MW, which is very similar to the so-called Pequeños Distributed Generation Media (PMGD) program in Chile.
How EVs will transform our grids, or the death of the combustion engine
The driving force behind the innovative energy storage system installed at Amsterdam’s John Cruiff ArenA in the Netherlands, The Mobility House (TMH), talks to pv magazine about the death of the combustion engine, and how electric vehicles (EVs) are presenting both strong business cases, and unparalleled levels of flexibility via decentralized intelligence – blockchain technology – for electricity grids around the world.
