Japan

Two reports have concluded rooftop solar may replace PV parks as the main growth driver in the two big Asian markets over the next decade. Support programs for utility scale PV in both countries no longer seem attractive enough.

Solar-plus-storage could be competitive against gas peaking power plants in Australia within the next five years, as the average solar-plus-storage LCOE across the Asia-Pacific region is set to fall from $133/MWh this year to $101/MWh by 2023, according to a newly released research report.

Moixa has wrapped up an £8.6 million funding round led by Honda. The U.K. smart battery specialist will use the funds to finance the global expansion of its business managing residential battery systems, electric vehicles and smart charging facilities, as well as the aggregation of battery capacity for grid services.

The Japanese multinational will transfer its Panasonic Energy Malaysia unit to Chinese heterojunction module provider GS-Solar as part of a broader cooperation agreement. Panasonic’s solar R&D business will form part of a JV in Japan to be 90% owned by GS-Solar.

After two decades of growth, the amount of newly installed renewable energy capacity is no longer rising and, despite a 7% growth in electricity generation from clean energy sources, global energy-related carbon emissions have risen 1.7%.

The Chinese-Canadian business has extended and expanded its credit line to finance more solar development in Japan despite plunging FIT rates and other obstacles affecting the market.

The drop in sales of solar energy products was mainly responsible for a 28% year-on-year turnover drop of the Life&Environment Group division, which includes the Japanese company’s activities within solar.

The world had more than half a terawatt of PV generation capacity at the end of last year as emerging solar markets picked up the slack caused by Beijing’s subsidy about-turn to the tune of a 20% rise in installations outside China.

The Tokyo-based renewables developer is constructing a 102.144 MW (DC) array on a former golf course west of Osaka in the city of Ako. It expects to connect the project to the grid in spring 2021.

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.