pv magazine weekly news roundup: Oct 31-Nov 7
A busy week for solar saw SunPower connect the world’s largest merchant PV plant in Chile, Brazil unveil its first solar-only federal auction, and German solar ambitions suffer yet another blow.
Utility SCE to deploy solar, storage and efficiency to meet electricity needs
New solar projects will join energy storage and other clean energy solutions as a major component of Southern California Edison’s plan to meet electricity needs following the the shut-down of the San Onofre nuclear plant.
SunEdison pipeline grows to 4.5 GW in third quarter as sales, losses grow
At the end of the third quarter, SunEdison had 610 MW of its pipeline under construction compared to 475 MW at the end of the second quarter and 558 MW at the end of Q3 2013.
NPD Solarbuzz: leading module suppliers continue to move downstream
The trend of module producers continuing to move into PV project development is continuing. The latest data from NPD Solarbuzz confirms this, with the analysts reporting that 17 of the top 20 solar module suppliers currently having dedicated project business units.
Germany: New guidelines for PV pilot tender
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy continues to work on the regulatory framework to implement the pilot tender for ground-mounted photovoltaic systems. pv magazine has obtained a copy of the key points currently being discussed by government officials.
Aussie farmer sends message to G20 attendees
An Australian farmer has sent a pro-solar message to the attendees of the G20 Leaders’ summit, by carving “Go Solar” into his fields. The farmer has made the move after the Brisbane Airport rejected a billboard calling for leaders to put climate change on the meetings agenda.
SMA: Net loss grows in first nine months amidst declining orders
The leading inverter manufacturer attributed declining sales to project delays in key foreign markets and a sharp drop in European demand due to lower subsidies.
Canadian Solar wins 114 MW of solar power projects in Brazil
The Canadian PV developer is parnering with local company Solatio on three projects in the state of Minas Gerais.
Scatec Solar sales skyrocket in third quarter
The Norwegian company nearly doubled its installed production capacity to 220 MW following the grid connection of three solar power plants in South Africa and Rwanda, which drove revenue and profit growth.
First Solar to expand manufacturing capacities, but no yieldco
In its third-quarter results, First Solar announced that it will expand manufacturing capacities in Malaysia and Ohio. The company also revealed that it will not be pursuing a yieldco vehicle at this time.
