Companies

Texan utility El Paso Electric filed a request with regulators asking them to approve an 8.7% increase for electric customers and a mandatory demand charge for solar users.

Leading thin-film specialist First Solar will transfer its existing business development resources in Turkey to Turkish industrial conglomerate Zorlu Solar and will close its Istanbul office.

In partnership with Ghana’s Climate Innovation Centre, Solar Media’s Clean Energy West Africa will host the first incubator workshop in April for start-ups.

Japan’s Jera Co, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Group (TEPCO) and the Chubu Electric Power Group, has acquired a 10% stake in Indian renewables firm ReNew Power Ventures Private Limited.

News in brief: Enel Green Power provides PV modules to power a new surgery in a Ugandan hospital, California's LA Solar Group announces new rooftop solar programme, Borrego Solar completes a new commercial PV system in San Diego, California and Hannon Armstrong secures a new US$144 million investment for more than 690MW worth of new solar projects, and more.

US-based start-up WattGlass has secured a Series A round of funding led by material sciences firm, DSM that was said to support its efforts to commercialise its anti-reflective and anti-soiling coating for PV panels.

Brazil’s energy agency EPE has signed a technical cooperation agreement with Mexico’s National Energy Control Center (Cenace) to gain knowledge in renewable energy integration and other power sector challenges.

In a 76-49 vote last week, Republican legislators voted to get rid of Minnesota’s solar incentive programme that saw homeowners and businesses install thousands of panels since its inception in 2013.

Eskom is conditionally committing to follow through with South African president Jacob Zuma’s announcement that the utility will indeed sign the remaining PPAs under the government’s renewable procurement programme (REIPPPP).

Specialist PV manufacturing equipment supplier Amtech Systems highlighted the confidence it had in a series of major new orders for high-efficiency n-type PERC and n-type bi-facial cell equipment including the first of a multi-phase 1GW turnkey project order during the reporting of its first 2017 fiscal quarter.