Americas

Materials science firm Corning Incorporated has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Duke Energy Renewables, an arm of utility Duke Energy, to purchase 50MW of the power from Duke’s 80MW solar energy plant in North Carolina.

Global PV capacity is expected to grow by 13% next year, the slowest rate of growth since 2012, according to Mercom Capital’s latest market forecast.

Industrial materials manufacturers Dow and DuPont are to merge creating a new company with a market capitalisation of US$130 billion.

Samsung Renewable Energy, through its partnership with Connor, Clark and Lunn Infrastructure (CC&L Infrastructure), has closed on US$195 million of debt financing for a 50MW solar project in Windsor, Ontario.

Solar industry figures have hailed Saturday’s historic climate agreement in Paris and urged swift action by world leaders to map out how countries will now meet the aims of the deal.

Spain-based firm Soltec Energías Renovables has begun manufacturing its SF utility tracker controllers in its plant located in Bahia, Brazil, and the firm has made some design changes for the Brazilian version of the controllers.

German solar system integrator Phoenix Solar’s California-based subsidiary is to develop a 26.6MW portfolio of solar projects for Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC).

First Solar has announced shipment guidance for 2016 of 2.9-3.0GW for 2016 and confirmed that it has no immediate plans to expand production capacity.

Leading module supply firm Hanwha Q CELLS is to almost triple its supply agreement with Sunrun, becoming one of the developer’s main suppliers in 2016.

Bluewave, a Boston-based developer of solar projects, claimed that it has “secured US$100 million” for community solar from a subsidiary of multinational investment house Morgan Stanley.