REC Silicon set to restart polysilicon shipments in October
Norway’s REC Silicon says it has completed construction at its restarted Moses Lake factory and will ship its first commercial polysilicon from the site in mid-October.
China urges US to reverse new tariffs on solar, batteries, EVs
China’s Ministry of Commerce has described the Office of the US Trade Representative’s recent decision to raise tariffs on Chinese solar components, batteries, semiconductors, steel, and EVs as “typical unilateralism and protectionism.” It added that the tariff increases will harm US companies and consumers.
Eurowind Energy acquires 11 solar projects in Portugal
Denmark’s Eurowind Energy has signed a deal for 65 MW of solar in central Portugal, split equally between 11 projects. Construction is expected to begin before the second quarter of 2025.
France’s 2021-23 PV auctions show price increase despite lower panel costs
The French energy regulator says in a new report that France allocated about 5.55 GW of PV capacity through its auction mechanism for large-scale solar between 2011 and 2013. Despite falling solar module prices, the auction mechanism did not lead to cheaper PV electricity or lower project costs.
Brazil to launch large-scale energy storage auction in 2025
The Brazilian authorities say they plan to hold a large-scale energy storage auction in 2025, potentially creating a market for large-scale storage facilities in the country.
End of net metering not a threat to residential solar profitability
The Netherlands is preparing to end its net-metering scheme, prompting two Dutch research institutes to study the potential impact on PV system profitability. They found that increasing self-consumption rates from 30% to 60% would keep profitability levels stable.
Ampin, Sumitomo set up renewables venture
Ampin Energy Transition and Japan’s Sumitomo Corp. have formed a joint venture company, Ampin C&I Power, to develop renewable energy sources in India.
Drone-based electroluminescence services for rooftop PV
Solevi, a German electroluminescence (EL) inspection company, has launched drone-based electrical inspection services for rooftop solar installation in Germany with plans to automate further and expand geographically.
Demand for large capacity battery storage cells goes strong as prices continue to slide
The analysis from Taipei-based intelligence provider TrendForce finds that the average price for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage system cells continued to slide in August, reaching CNY 0.35/Wh ($0.049/Wh). Meanwhile, demand for large capacity cells continued to grow at a steady pace.
U.S. increases and extends clean energy import tariffs on China
The U.S. Trade Representative decided that it will expand tariffs on solar components, batteries, semiconductors, steel, and EVs from China.
