GE Power Conversion is introducing Silicon Carbide (SiC) technology into its next-generation 1500V PV inverter product line, bringing increased power conversion efficiency to the PV industry. The LV5+ Solar Inverter is the first multi-MW, utility scale inverter based completely on SiC technology and has an efficiency rating of 99% weighted EU and is being showcased at Solar Power International 2016.
Florida-headquartered solar EPC firm TerraSmart has launched a fully autonomous robot that can perform survey stake-out functions for the US solar industry using NASA space rover technology.
Enel Green Power Brasil Participações (EGPB), a subsidiary of Italian power firm Enel, has started construction of a 103MW solar plant in the State of Bahia, Brazil.
The average severity of insurance claims from the solar PV industry has increased by 87% over the past five years often as a result of extreme weather, according to new research from renewables insurance specialist GCube Underwriting.
Independent power producer Etrion Corporation said it was evaluating the possible sale of its 60MW PV power plant portfolio in Italy to raise funds to expand project development in Japan.
Hybrid amorphous Si thin-film module producer Sunpreme said had completed deployment of 12.8MW utility-scale project in the Eastern region of the US, using its bifacial double glass GxB370W panels, with 21.5% cell efficiency.
Energy storage in the US is being propelled forward by falling costs and increasingly favourable markets and policy. But for the full value of storage to be realised, numerous regulatory and fiscal barriers must still be surmounted, writes Matt Roberts, executive director of the Energy Storage Association.
Leading US residential solar PV installer SolarCity said it had raised US$305 million in its second cash equity transaction, this time through a private investment fund affiliated with Quantum Strategic Partners Ltd.
Over the past 12 months, the US solar business has been on a rollercoaster ride, with the high-profile bankruptcy of SunEdison and the merger of SolarCity and Tesla stealing the headlines. Danielle Ola talks to the experts about some of the key trends shaping the world of solar finance
and investment in the US.
Indian corporates are taking a significant share of the domestic solar PV market with Indian conglomerate Adani taking top spot in terms of capacity additions in the last year, according to consultancy firm Bridge to India.
