Manz sees further solar growth potential for 2018
The German solar PV equipment manufacturer has confirmed its preliminary figures for the past year. The record sales registered in 2017 could be increased even further this year.
SMA reports record shipments, lower revenue
The German inverter maker sold 8.5 GW of solar PV inverters last year. Revenue, however, dropped by €50 million, while net profit remained flat at €30 million.
BYD’s PV and battery divisions register 18% revenue increase to buck trend of wider profit fall
The Chinese technology firm, which has become a leading player in China’s electric vehicle industry, has warned that subsidy cuts for new-energy vehicles could further drag down its profits. Solar and stationary battery business performing well, however.
Malaysia’s Tenaga awards another six PPAs for 180 MW of solar
The 21-year PPAs are the latest in a series of projects and supply deals that have been announced by the Malaysian power utility in recent months.
JA Solar issues strong response to IP theft allegations
Chinese module manufacturer, JA Solar has issued a statement refuting assertions made by SolarWorld in hearings conducted last year, which were reported last week in the findings of United States Trade Representative (USTR) report into Chinese practices related to intellectual property.
Fossil fuel global grip being loosened by holy trinity of affordable PV, wind and storage, finds BNEF
‘Unprecedented challenge’ for fossil fuels as low LCOE for solar and wind power, allied to tumbling storage costs, sees renewables claim larger share of bulk and dispatchable generation while adding vital flexibility to global energy mix.
Sweden’s operational PV capacity tops 231 MW
Although there is still confusion between different numbers provided by the Swedish energy agency, Energimyndigheten, new statistics suggest that Sweden was the largest PV market in Scandinavia in 2017.
France’s Orange enters African off-grid solar market
The French multinational telecommunications corporation has announced a plan to begin providing off-grid solar solutions to Burkina Faso and, at a later stage, in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast.
Video interview: Will lithium-ion’s battery dominance soon end?
At the recent Energy Storage Europe exhibition in Düsseldorf, Florian Mayr, partner at renewable energy advisory firm Apricum, explained how lithium-ion technologies got a jump on other battery forms in the stationary storage world, but its dominance should not be taken for granted.
SoftBank, Saudi sign incredible 200 GW solar MOU – comment
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia and Japan-based SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son, to establish the world’s largest solar PV energy project by 2030. How likely it is to materialize, and what will be done with the power, if it is realized, however, remains to be seen. Of more interest, says BNEF, is the first 7.2 GW phase.
