JinkoSolar shipments grow in Q4 2016, revenues, margins fall
Leading Chinese PV manufacturer JinkoSolar has continued to grow shipments in Q4 2016, with full-year (FY) module sales increasing close to 50% YoY. Downward price pressure continues to bite, with revenues falling 8.3% compared to Q3, and almost 14% year-on-year.
Lerri Solar re-branded Longi, unveiled at PV Expo, Tokyo
Monocrystalline giant, the Longi Group, will now use the brand for its cell and module business, formerly Lerri Solar. The unified brand will be showcased at the PV Expo in Tokyo, which kicks off on Wednesday.
ARENA backs deX project to deliver open-source digital marketplace coupling distributed solar-plus-storage and grid services
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $450,000 (US$346,000) towards the Decentralized Energy Exchange (deX) project, which aims to produce an open-source software platform on which grid services can be provided and monetized by distributed battery storage. A combination of Australian utilities, research bodies, and startups are collaborating on the $930,200 ($715,000) deX project.
Hevel Solar completing pre-commissioning of 160 MW heterojunction fab, achieves 21.75% cell efficiency
Russia’s Hevel Solar has achieved 21.75% cell efficiency after upgrading to heterojunction (HJT) technology. Hevel says that its fab will have a capacity of 160 MW when completed.
Florida Power & Light races to a solar future
After being part of a coalition that tried to slow third-party solar growth in the Sunshine State as recently as October, the state’s biggest utility announced plans to add eight new solar power plants by early next year.
UK urged to adopt flexible electricity system to support renewables, finds new UKERC report
The U.K. Energy Research Centre has called on the British government to invest in greater grid flexibility if it is to make renewable energy sources cost-effective. Solar Trade Association calls the report “timely”.
Centrotherm books €80 million in cell equipment orders in three months
German PV equipment supplier centrotherm booked a €45 million (US$48 million) monocrystalline solar cell equipment order today, bringing its total bookings for the last three months to €80 million ($85 million).
Fraunhofer ISE reclaims multicrystalline PV cell efficiency record with 21.9%
German solar research institute Fraunhofer ISE has reclaimed the multicrystalline PV cell efficiency record, achieving 21.9%. Fraunhofer researchers deployed n-type high-performance multicrystalline technology to produce the record-setting PV cell.
Better Energy completes 23.6 MW of projects in Germany
Danish solar developers Better Energy today announced the addition of four sites with total capacity of 23.6 MW to its portfolio in Germany.
Australia: 320 MW of solar farms commence construction in Victoria
Three PV power plants worth a combined 320 MW have begun construction in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria. A joint venture between Overland Sun Farming and the UK’s Island Green Power is behind the AU$500 million (US$384 million) development, which is going ahead despite the projects not having yet signed PPAs.
