Power Plants

California’s 579MW Solar Star project has begun partial operation and is now supplying electricity to California’s grid.

Enel Group’s renewable project developer, Enel Green Power (EGP) has secured a US$150 million loan towards developing renewable energy generation projects in Chile.

The current rate of cut backs to support for solar energy could put the German energy transition at risk, the country’s solar trade body has warned.

Pro-solar group the Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) has questioned the viability of the feed-in tariff (FiT) model for residential solar in the US following the suspension of a FiT scheme in Gainesville, Florida.

PV power plant developer Shunfeng has announced a RMB980 million (US$162 million) loan from China Development Bank (CDB).

UPDATE: An explosion at Mitsubishi Materials Yokkaichi polysilicon plant has resulted in the death of five workers with a further 12 injured, according to reports.

Taiwan-based specialist solar wafer producer, Green Energy Technology (GET), has said that continued strong sales would lead to capacity expansion as utilisation rates are set to remain at 95% in the first quarter of 2014.

North Carolina and Texas both surged up the rankings of leading US solar states in 2013 in what was a record-breaking year for the country, according to analysts NPD Solarbuzz.

PV developer Sonnedix has secured €96 million (US$130.5 million) project financing for two operational PV plants in France.

Hanergy Group has secured financing from several Chinese banks totalling around 20 billion yuan (US$3.3 billion), according to reports, as it looks to become a major PVEP (PV Energy Provider) employing a-Si and CIGS thin-film technology for downstream PV power plants.