sPower

Big solar projects in the U.S. are back in style and growing in number.

The latest PV finance report released by Mercom Capital had solar investment falling almost entirely across the board with the number of new solar funds launched in the last three months offering a rare piece of good news.

Plus, Italian developers continue to dig deep for their health service, the pandemic piles on problems for a debt-saddled Chinese company and analysts consider whether there will be any money left for a green economic recovery after the dust settles.

The global vertical integration of the PV tracker industry is accelerating, as players seek to build organizations that can provide manufacturing and support in multiple markets simultaneously. These partnerships tend to connect intellectual property assets with global manufacturing capability and construction and engineering teams that have the financial wherewithal to pursue international markets. The trend also is driving product line expansion, as in the case of Nextracker’s offering of energy storage as an integrated part of its tracker design.

The independent power producer has closed on a US$499 million, investment grade, private placement financing representing approximately 650 MW of utility-scale wind and solar power projects.

The massive order follows the 2.75 GW supply deal the Chinese manufacturer signed with NextEra, as it deepens its presence in the U.S. market.

The Fortune 200 power company has partnered with a Canadian investment firm to acquire the U.S. utility-scale developer and IPP.

The independent power producer reached 1 GW of operating solar projects before the calendar turned to 2017.