Power Plants

The US government has announced plans to smooth the path for the development of commercial-scale solar with US$15 million being set aside for community-lead projects.

Hanergy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with renewable energy asset management firm Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation for the funding of up to 126MW of PV projects in the US.

The company noted that it could not pay accrued interest and fees, which could result in the bank foreclosing. SPI Solar had total company deficit of US$56.1 million at the end of 2013, much of it owed to LDK Solar.

Tracking manufacturer Array Technologies (ATI) has installed four systems in California customised to withstand high wind speeds.

Additional renewable energy capacity, including onshore wind and photovoltaic power generation projects, will be granted approval under the third round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REIPPP), the country’s Department of Energy (DoE) has announced.

The IPCC has said solar has the largest technical feasibility in mitigating harmful climate change from electricity production “by a large magnitude”.

Shunfeng Photovoltaic International is planning to issue convertible bonds totalling US$296.6 million to support its PV project business plans.

Dubai’s state utility company has opened the tender process for 100MW solar PV generating capacity.

California-based microinverter maker Enphase has become the latest company in solar to announce expansion plans to meet demand in the Asia-Pacific region, opening an office in Melbourne, Australia to add to its engineering and design centre in New Zealand and distribution hub in Sydney.

Tenaska Solar Ventures has opted to use only conventional PV modules at its planned 150MW PV power plant in Imperial Valley, California cancelling plans to use Soitec’s concentrated PV (CPV) technology for part of the original project.