Americas

The California Energy Commission has blocked the construction of Brightsource’s 500MW Palen project.

No solar projects were successful in the second national energy tender auction in Brazil.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is making a US$13 million investment in five separate projects designed to improve manufacturing competitiveness in the domestic solar industry.

Following a trade dispute and ruling by the WTO, Ontario has scrapped its domestic content requirement for wind and solar projects.

The IFC, part of the World Bank, has signed an agreement with China’s Chint Group to develop solar farms and supply chains in emerging markets.

Specialist US-based solar wafer producer, 1366 Technologies has received a further US$2.5 million in Series C financing bringing the round to a total of US$17.5 million.

A consortium headed by GE Energy Financial Services has completed an equity investment in the 143MW Catalina Solar PV power station in Rosamund, California.

PV project developer, Strata Solar has secured a 160MW module supply deal with China-based BYD that includes the supply of batteries that will be used with some its utility-scale projects planned for 2014.

The liquidators of Suntech Power Holdings are to investigate the planned sale of the company’s main Chinese manufacturing unit to Shunfeng Photovoltaic International for possible legal breaches.

The number of PV projects set to compete in Brazil’s forthcoming national energy auction has been trimmed from 152 to 88, according to the country’s energy agency, EPE.