Updated: With the solar industry transitioning to high-performance products backed with innovation, Solar Power International 2017 in Las Vegas is showcasing an ever increasing portfolio of solar modules exceeding 300 watts in the standard 60-cell format. However, 72-cell modules exceeding 360 watts are also entering the mainstream and 400 watts is just around the corner.
Driving the high-performance wave is PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Cell), bifacial and the migration to 5 busbars and beyond, whether with multicrystalline or monocrystalline wafers. The growing use of half-cut and multi-cut cells that reduce cell to module losses, boosting overall performance are also becoming mainstream as well as heterojunction (HJ) modules.
JinkoSolar subsidiary JinkoSolar Canada will supply approximately 17MW of its mono PERC solar modules to a PV project in Brooks, Alberta, Canada, owned by Vancouver-based renewable energy developer, investor, and operator, Elemental Energy.
With several MENA region countries expected to become gigawatt solar markets in 2018 and beyond, global certification organization UL has teamed with Saudi Arabian-based government body, GCC Laboratories to provide a suite of services to the downstream PV project sector.
Canada-based Investment firm Connor, Clark & Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L Infrastructure) and developer CarbonFree Technology have agreed to acquire 15 ground-mount solar PV projects currently under construction in Chile with a combined capacity of 65MW from an unnamed developer.
Arctech has made its US debut with the installation of 6MW worth of tracking projects in Georgia, Engie partners CEC in Massachusetts, ET Energy and Vivint Corporation form a joint venture.
Nebraska-based renewable energy company Tenaska announced Tuesday that it has closed a refinancing deal on its 150MW Tenaska Imperial Solar Energy Center West PV project through an issuance of US$400 million of senior secured, long-term notes.
Renewable energy developers SkyPower and Renew Power are involved in legal disputes with the distribution company (Discom) of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh over solar project deadlines and PPAs, while SkyPower has also claimed to have successfully brought into operation its first ever project in the state.
DNV GL has launched the first control hardware in loop (CHIL) test facility for renewable energy generation plants. The facility connects physical power plant controllers to a real-time simulator, allowing the controller to be fully tested and validated without the need for an actual generation facility or power grid. This enables cost-effective, low-risk testing under realistic conditions for all forms of renewable energy control systems.
Photon Energy has provided details of two more major utility-scale projects that it is developing in New South Wales, Australia, as part of a 1GW pipeline in the state.
