Two large Chinese ingot and wafer makers have announced bold plans to expand their capacities beyond anything seen to date. In the process they could transform the entire upstream solar manufacturing landscape.

RenewSys India has submitted a petition to the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties for the imposition of anti-dumping duties on imports of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate sheets for solar modules from China PR, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Thailand. Evidence of dumping has been found.

A new report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization outlines the benefits of solar powered irrigation systems to both large and small scale farming operations in developing countries. The report also stresses the need for comprehensive management and regulation of such systems, to avoid unsustainable water use.

In recent years, the International Energy Agency has consistently been far too conservative in its renewables forecasts. For the last year, it reported solar growth of almost 100 GW. It said, however, that if China were excluded from this balance sheet, growth would be relatively low.

The Turkish solar company is planning to set up the manufacturing facility in the Bor Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) of Niğde, in Central Anatolia. After the project was accepted under a special incentive program by the Turkish government this week, EkoRE is now seeking investors.

The Romanian solar PV market has ground to a halt, following the expiration of the green certificate scheme for large-scale renewables. New provisions for net metering and distributed generation, however, may come into force soon.

The Indian multinational EPC has this week unveiled a new global division that will focus on the development of power+storage hybrid solutions. The new unit will focus initially on lighting up remote islands and has an installation target of 1 GW.

Spanish energy company, Gas Natural Fenosa has announced that construction is underway on the 49 MW La Nava PV project, its first solar project in Spain’s central region of Ciudad Real. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Companies and consortia from China, Europe, and domestically have lodged technical and financial offers to build four 50 MW solar plants in Jordan’s Maan Development Zone, the government reveals.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is now assisting the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for the tendering of two solar PV projects, is seeking consultants to help the country’s transition from FITs to auctions.