Pacifico starts construction on 55 MW PV plant in Japan
Pacifico Energy has commenced construction on a 55 MW solar PV plant in Gifu Prefacture, Japan. It is expected to be operational in 2019.
BBOXX and Bamboo create finance platform BEAM for off-grid sector
Bamboo and BBOXX launch pioneering platform aimed at providing developmental infrastructure for off-grid energy services.
Chile’s PV capacity surpasses 2 GW
Although official statistics report that grid-connected PV capacity reached 1.82 GW as of the end of December 2017, the completion of two large-scale projects totaling 215 MW in early January has raised Chile’s total installed power to around 2.04 GW.
Lebanon to launch 360 MW solar tender
The new tender will be issued as soon as the ongoing tender for 180 MW of solar projects has concluded. The new round will select another 24 large-scale solar projects, and will be open to bidders that failed to qualify for Round 1.
Total invests in semiconductor, PV research
The parent company of SunPower and the French National Research Agency have launched a new initiative aimed at developing new plasma processing methods for semiconductors and solar PV.
Swedish government backs Northvolt battery plant to tune of €15m
The Swedish Energy Agency has granted SEK 146 million to support Northvolt Labs’ large-scale battery manufacturing plant in Västerås, Sweden. Project already secured financial backing from ABB, Vestas and Scania.
Trina Solar chief scientist Pierre Verlinden announces retirement from firm
The decorated PV pioneer will step aside from his role as Trina Solar’s VP and chief scientist on February 12 in order to devote more time to his family life.
South Australia, Tesla partner for $800 million virtual power plant
South Australia could play host to the world’s largest deployment of residential solar+storage in the form of a virtual power plant. The scheme, announced by SA Premier Jay Weatherill on the election campaign trail, could see 250 MW of rooftop PV and 650 MWh of battery storage added to 50,000 homes over 4.5 years.
China’s Top Runner Program spurring n-type solar cell development, report finds
The Technology Top Runner Program portion of China’s push for higher-efficiency solar products sets a June 2019 grid connection deadline for 1.5 GW of next-generation PV technology; this target is poised to drive mass production of n-type cells, says EnergyTrend.
The weekend read: Taking batteries from lab to market
The conversation around battery cell production may be heated, but it is largely confined to the advanced industrial economies of China, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. Although also a high-tech hub of innovation and manufacturing expertise, Europe has been on the outside looking in for some time. But that could all be about to change as two exciting storage production programs take flight.
