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.
Report: Venture capitalists fall in love with battery storage
According to a report released by Mercom Capital, venture capital firms showered battery storage companies with money to the tune of US$714 million last year.
US: Trump proposes 72% cut to DOE’s clean energy research
U.S. President Donald J. Trump has asked Congress to take a machete to the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) renewable energy and energy efficiency programs to even lower levels than he proposed last year – cuts likely avoided because of Congressional incompetence.
Kyocera’s net income falls 17% to $261.7 million in Q3
Kyocera posted a net profit of JPY 28,880 million ($261.7 million) in the third quarter of the current Japanese fiscal year, down 16.8% year on year, as the group continued to consolidate its PV manufacturing operations in the face of falling sales in its home market.
