Markets & Finance

This week's solar movers and shakers featuring salary sacrifice at SolarCity and feats of life-saving at Strata Solar.

Not-for-profit GivePower Foundation, created by US firm SolarCity, has installed the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) first minigrid using solar and battery storage at Virunga National Park.

Leading polysilicon and multicrystalline wafer producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has reported first half 2016 financial results that as expected benefited from the downstream boom in China that kept both polysilicon and wafer prices high.

The job losses announced by SolarCity last week could impact more than 100 employees, according to reports by local paper The Mercury News.

Brazil’s Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME) is proposing to allow solar developers that won projects in the 2014 auction to cancel them with a reduced penalty fee.

France’s Ministry of Environment, Energy and Sea is launching 3GW of solar PV tenders over a three-year period.

Solar wafer and module manufacturer ReneSola reported second quarter 2016 results impacted by a module end market demand slowdown in China and high polysilicon prices, while wafer ASPs decline, squeezing revenue and margins.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS has reported second quarter 2016 financial results but has decided to not report a critical business metric, solar module (MW) shipments.

Elon Musk and his SolarCity executive cousins have purchased US$100 million of the company’s latest bond issue.

India is seeking to ensure the quality and reliability of solar PV equipment imported into the country, as per a draft technical regulation released by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).