Markets & Finance

Total S.A. has become a preferred bidder in the third phase of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) to build an 86MWp PV power plant using SunPower’s ‘Oasis Power Blocks’ integrated system.

NextEra Energy Resources, one of North America’s biggest renewable energy owner operators, has revealed it has a solar project backlog of 800MW.

SunPower, the second largest US solar manufacturer, has acquired solar farm cleaning equipment manufacturer Greenbotics.

Shunfeng Photovoltaic International has successfully acquired the PV manufacturing operations of Suntech Wuxi with administrator approval for around US$490 million. Suntech Wuxi had debts of more than US$2.3 billion.

China Solar Energy Holdings has released a statement confirming one of the executives facing fraud allegations has been bailed.

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is demanding information from organisations including utility Arizona Public Service (APS) on the possible use of ratepayer funds in controversial public relations campaigns against solar power and net metering.

Honda has announced it will close its thin-film manufacturing subsidiary Honda Soltec spring 2014.

US thin-film giant First Solar has seen its third quarter sales surge 51% compared to the same period last year.

US-based manufacturer SunPower has raised its outlook for 2013, predicting revenues of between US$2.52 billion US$2.57 billion.

German state development bank KfW is to provide €654 million (US$900 million) for a Moroccan CSP project.