Leading US residential solar PV installer SolarCity said it had raised US$305 million in its second cash equity transaction, this time through a private investment fund affiliated with Quantum Strategic Partners Ltd.
Over the past 12 months, the US solar business has been on a rollercoaster ride, with the high-profile bankruptcy of SunEdison and the merger of SolarCity and Tesla stealing the headlines. Danielle Ola talks to the experts about some of the key trends shaping the world of solar finance
and investment in the US.
The annual US-based Solar Power International (SPI) exhibition and conference historically generates a significant number of new product launches and can set new trends and directions for the downstream solar PV sector, globally.
Indian corporates are taking a significant share of the domestic solar PV market with Indian conglomerate Adani taking top spot in terms of capacity additions in the last year, according to consultancy firm Bridge to India.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS is planning to introduce its first ever monocrystalline modules, which will use its PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) cell technology. New and prototype products will be showcased at Solar Power International (SPI) in Las Vegas next week.
The hardest and most ‘controversial’ aspect of analyzing capacity expansion announcements is converting them to actual or ‘effective’ new nameplate capacity.
Leading global ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has officially announced that it is withdrawing from the EU minimum import price agreement, following a number of major China-based PV manufacturers and Taiwan-based producers.
Integrated PV module manufacturer SolarWorld is offering US solar installers commercial project funding resources amounting to US$225 million, guaranteed by REC Solar majority-owner Duke Energy, in California, Hawaii and the Northeast states of Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
A total of 12 projects have been awarded funding in Australia’s breakthrough utility-scale solar funding round, with AU$91 million set aside for 482MW of capacity.
According to Deutsche Bank’s US market analyst Vishal Shah, strong PV manufacturing capacity expansion growth in the second half of 2016 and 2017 is expected to lead to a global 16% solar module oversupply through the period.
