Canada

The 1.8 GW supply deal is the largest in Canadian Solar’s history and includes the company’s new BiHiKu high-efficiency bifacial modules.

Perovskites and quantum dot solar cells both have potential for use in high efficiency PV devices, but have major challenges to overcome to be a commercial reality. Scientists at the University of Toronto have found that if the two technologies are combined in the right way, they can stabilize each other.

While the lifting of any tariffs is welcome news to the U.S. solar industry, manufacturers say low materials prices are unlikely to return as long as protectionist measures elsewhere remain in place.

Canada’s second-largest pension fund and U.K. developer Lightsource BP have announced a joint debt investment of £150 million to finance a solar portfolio across several countries.

While Ford is known in the United States for its gas-guzzling pickup trucks, the vehicle manufacturer cannot circumvent the global trend towards e-mobility. The market for large electric pickup trucks could be there as Canada dashed ahead with a federal EV sales target, that aspires 100% EV sales in 2040.

Utility SaskPower has closed the request for qualification phase for a 10 MW plant which prompted 22 applications from 13 companies. The province wants 60 MW of renewables by 2021. The tender for a first PV plant of the same size was finalized by SaskPower in June.

According to the general manager of French PV production equipment provider Apollon Solar, Jed Kraiem, multicrystalline cells are expected to have a share of only 40% in 2019 global demand, with mono PERC cell structures now clearly being in advantage thanks to higher efficiencies and increasingly lowering costs. He claims, however, that technological advances in the solar industry historically are implemented first in the mono segment and then transferred to the multicrystalline business.

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has completed the Nanticoke solar project on schedule and according to budget. The array has been built at the former Nanticoke Generating Station site, on the shores of Lake Erie near the town of Port Dover.

The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in the Canadian province of Ontario has revealed plans to launch annual capacity auctions in a bid to reduce electricity costs for households.

The new budget looks to lower the cost of energy for households by turning to distributed energy, energy efficiency and community energy programs. To this end, several billion Canadian dollars will be spent.