US residential solar company Sunrun has welcomed a piece of legislation in California that could help drive down soft costs, by streamlining the permitting and inspection process for new PV systems.
The US company which last week acquired German solar mounting solutions provider, Renusol, is planning to use the deal to gain access to the European PV market, highlighting specific interest in the commercial rooftop sector.
Battery maker Trojan claims its new proprietary ‘Smart Carbon’ technology can improve the cycle life of lead acid batteries by as much as 15%, through effective management of the cell in a partial state of charge.
Certification for safety and other technical standards must become uniform in the market for residential energy storage systems which can combine with PV systems, according to an expert at technological research institute Fraunhofer ISE.
Uncertainty surrounding the switch to the CfDs (Contracts for Difference) support scheme for large-scale solar in the UK will make it difficult for smaller companies and new market entrants to compete there, according to speakers at the Doing Solar Business in the UK conference in Munich.
A developer has filed plans to install 620MW of PV generation capacity across 12 sites in the US state of North Carolina, with each power plant between 25MW and 80MW.
The number of workers employed by the German PV industry fell by almost 50% last year, according to figures released on Monday by the German energy and economics ministry.
Capital One Bank has invested US$100million into a partnership with residential installer and leasing company SolarCity, marking the US bank’s first ever investment in renewable energy.
Preparing to do business after the FiT scheme ends in 2020, whether or not the government maintain the country’s “no nuclear” energy policy, will be crucial to survival for solar in Japan, according to one expert.
One of Britain’s solar ‘yield cos,’ Foresight Solar Fund, has announced a debt acquisition facility, worth £100 million (US$168 million) , which will enable the fund to purchase further solar farm assets.
