Industry Updates

JinkoSolar has supplied its high-efficiency modules to Grupotec to power two solar plants in Kenya. The two projects have a total power of 98 MWp and consist of over 290,000 modules, with Grupotec completing construction of the plants, Radiant and Eldosol, near the city of Eldoret in the north west of the country. The plants occupy some 600 acres of land and will generate sufficient power to supply over 250,000 households, while reducing CO2 emissions by an annual 106,000 tons.   "We are proud that JinkoSolar’s technology and products are helping Africa to tap into green energy. Our company is currently installing similar solar plants in other African countries and we are always willing to train locals on installation and operation and maintenance to make it easier for each country to undertake similar projects in the future," commented Gener Miao, the company’s CMO.

Sharp Solar Solution Asia (SSSA) has concluded an agreement with the Fuyo General Lease Co. to establish a joint venture company, S-Solar Generation Thailand, which will sell electricity in the Thai market. This is the first time that the Sharp Corporation or one of its subsidiaries has entered the business of selling power to private companies. Under a PPA, companies signing a contract with the new joint venture will be able to have a solar power system installed with zero initial investment and subsequently use solar-generated power at a reduced rate.

LONGi has partnered with Solar Electric Vietnam (SEV) to provide a 5.4kWp rooftop system at the United Nations International School (UNIS) in Hanoi.

A 400MW agricultural photovoltaic solar plant in Nangong, China is currently over halfway through construction, with the project adopting Trina Solar's 210 Vertex 550W series modules with TrinaTracker Vanguard 2P trackers to further increase power generation and reduce LCOE.

Trina Solar has formally joined the global Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and signed the ‘Business Ambition’ for its 1.5°C pledge. This once again underlines the company's commitment to helping limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C through its own actions to reduce emissions.

On June 28, 2021, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a final written decision on an inter partes review (IPR) proceeding, declaring all of the patent claims in Hanwha Q-Cells’ U.S. Patent 8,933,525B2 to be invalid.

JinkoSolar has announced that the first shipment of 1MW (out of 2.6MW) of high-efficiency PV modules has been delivered for SGCC’s first off-grid PV pilot project in Ethiopia, the first in the whole East African region. Being a part of the World Bank's "Lighting Africa" program, it has important strategic significance, as it is the opening project of the entire program and plays a demonstration role for other participants, showing how to provide solutions for better electricity services in Africa.

LONGi has announced that, as a result of its partnership with leading Thai project developers such as Gulf and Green Yellow, it has delivered over 250MW of its modules to Thailand in the first 6 months of 2021. Based on industry figures, the company now has a market share of over 31% in the country.

LONGi has supplied 1,224kWp of high-efficiency modules to the Crystal International Group in Hanoi. The project was executed by Solar Electric Vietnam, a leading EPC with extensive commercial and industrial PV experience.

Singapore is now home to one of the world's largest offshore floating photovoltaic farms, a 5 MW-peak project deployed in the Straits of Johor.