Engie and Sonnen team up on solar-plus-storage
The French energy giant and the German storage specialist will begin offering a combined solar-plus-storage solution for self-consumption on the residential French market.
Kyocera reports lower solar sales for fiscal 2018
The group’s solar business incurred an operating lost in the last fiscal year, due to a write-down related to a long-term purchase contract for the supply of polysilicon.
US scientists claim new efficiency record for organic tandem solar cells
A team from the University of Michigan in the U.S. has developed an organic tandem solar cell with 15% efficiency, a new record for an organic solar cell. The scientists utilized a novel method for stacking the two layers on top of each other without damaging either layer.
Middle East to tender 8 GW of PV in 2018, says GTM Research
Most of the region’s future solar development will come from large-scale solar projects, as distributed generation still suffers from the high subsidies granted to residential and commercial electricity customers.
Netherlands: Land prices are rising due to increasing development of solar parks
The country’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate has urged regional governments and municipalities to grant licenses for solar PV parks on agricultural land only as a last resource. No restrictive measures, however, are being considered.
Order situation ‘weakening’ for German equipment suppliers, says VDMA
After a strong finish to 2017, Germany’s equipment suppliers are looking at weaker demand in 2018, although the industry still expects sales growth of 9.2% this year, according to the latest Business Climate Survey published by the German Engineering Federation’s Photovoltaic Equipment Group.
Bolivia hires ACI Systems for its first lithium factory
The German company was chosen among eight bidders through an expression of interest process. It will be responsible for the construction, assembly and commissioning of a lithium manufacturing facility. The Bolivian government expects an annual income of US$1 billion.
Spanish region of Aragon fast-tracks eight PV projects totaling 398 MW
Overall, the fast-tracked solar parks will require an aggregate investment of approximately €267 million, the regional government said.
Grasshopper Solar gets $210 million financing from Deutsche Bank
The Canadian solar company will use the funds to expands its asset base and reach new business opportunities.
Power Ledger partners with Japanese utility in new trial
Australia-based peer-to-peer (P2P) energy pioneer Power Ledger will partner with Japanese utility Kansai Electric Power Company (KEPCO) to trial its blockchain-enabled platform. The limited trial will first involve only 10 homes in Osaka, however, Power Ledger says that Japan is an excellent fit for P2P energy trading.
