Asia

The Chinese thin film giant has transformed itself into a solar manufacturing equipment supplier and is set to expand a strategy which sees affiliates help fund industrial parks which then generate orders for its thin film production lines.

TrendForce says the country deployed more than 1 GW of new PV for the first time last year, and predicts this year may see as much as 1.5 GW of new solar capacity. The nation’s cumulative capacity reached 2,618 MW at the end of last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The Dendo Drive House includes a solar system, residential storage and a bi-directional charger. Mitsubishi says it reduces electric bills and fuel costs by enabling battery charging from the grid at night, when power prices are cheaper, and can also draw power from an electric vehicle.

The Japanese gas provider has acquired a 50% interest in four Mexican PV projects with a combined capacity of 746 MW. The new joint venture will further develop solar and renewables across the country.

The transition for utility scale storage from offering short duration, high value grid services to the world of long duration energy peaking could spell the end of fossil fuel backup generation within five years.

In the latest tariff spat to afflict the solar world, India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies will investigate a claim steel products coated with aluminum and zinc are being dumped by Far Eastern manufacturers.

A 10,000-liters-per-day plant in Tamil Nadu offers hope for powering clean water without fossil fuels. However, researchers warn the technology is difficult to scale up because PV panels take up so much space.

The result was certified by the solar cells laboratory at the calibration and test center of Germany’s Institute for Solar Energy Research. Imec’s measurements showed cell bifaciality surpassed 80%.

With competition on the module market as cutthroat as ever, manufacturers are increasingly looking to emphasize the quality and reliability of their products and services as a differentiator. pv magazine investigates what’s behind some of these claims, and the move from manufacturers to more sophisticated quality assurance methods.

No more than four hours per day, did the 160 households enjoy energy supply. This has had negative impacts on the economic development of the islands. With support from the ADB, the island inhabitants now have 24h supply of clean energy, and new billing methods that suit the economic realities of poorer households.