China-based PV manufacturer GCL System Integration Technology (GCL-SI) has broken its own solar cell average efficiency for its self-developed PERC cells in mass production by utilizing Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) technology - reaching 20.6% from 20.1% in February.
Chinese merchant cell producer Aiko Solar will work with RENA Technologies to support its ongoing transition to passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology.
UK alternative investment firm Ingenious has teamed with Australian developer Stellata Energy for a landmark joint venture to develop large-scale solar energy in Australia, including a flagship 120MW ground-mounted project.
India installed 5.5GW of utility-scale solar capacity in the last fiscal year and the country is expected to add another 8GW in the coming year, according to consultancy firm Bridge to India’s ‘India Solar Map’.
Major PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow has installed a hybrid solar-diesel-storage system for five islands in the Maldives, consisting of 2.7MWp of solar and 700kW/33kWh of energy storage.
The European Bank of Restructuring and Development (EBRD) is financing a second solar park in Kazakhstan following the 50MW Burnoye Solar 1 established in April 2014.
Taiwan is expected to see a significant uptick in solar deployment in Q4 this year or early 2018 after the recent allocation of high-efficiency equipment certifications, but there are concerns around manufacturing capacity constraints.
