Markets

First Solar says it is evaluating potential infringement of its patents for its tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) tech, secured through the acquisition of TetraSun in 2013. The US thin-film solar module manufacturer has not named the companies involved or given a timeline for the investigation.

BlackRock’s climate infrastructure business has increased its stake in Brite Energy Partners. The KRW 100 billion ($72 million) investment will help to scale the South Korean independent power producer’s solar portfolio and expand its energy storage and EV charging operations.

Philippine renewables developer Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. and San Miguel Global Light and Power Corp., a unit of San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp., will jointly develop a 153.5 MW solar plant in the Philippines.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Rio de Janeiro recorded the sunniest June in over 18 years, with solar irradiance 15% above the long-term average. This was part of a band of higher than average sunshine extending through Bolivia, Paraguay, and parts of Brazil. Conversely, southern Argentina saw an irradiance drop of up to 30% below the long-term average as it experienced its cloudiest June in the same period.

Abu Dhabi-based Masdar has raised $1 billion through a new bond issuance. It says the investment will fund equity commitments on new greenfield projects, several of which are in developing economies.

A research group has examined the potential for PV on building walls and rooftops across Norway. It says that up to 36% of the feasible solar energy, or approximately 31 GW, could be integrated into the national power system to match generation and consumption patterns.

LevelTen Energy says in its latest quarterly report that prices for power purchase agreements (PPAs) increased in the second quarter, following a modest decline in the first three months of the year.

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.

Current market conditions are propelling grid-scale project deployment in a more diversified European energy storage market. Anna Darmani, principal analyst – energy storage EMEA, at Wood Mackenzie, examines revenue streams in different parts of Europe and emerging routes to the market.

Signs of a UK government that’s prepared to back solar have emerged within a fortnight of the Labour Party securing victory in the General Election. The government has already signed off on more than 1 GW of new solar capacity.