In less than 10 years, distributed solar-plus-storage systems will reach 27.4GW worldwide and be worth more than US$49.1 billion, with Asia and Western Europe leading the way, a new report from Navigant Research has forecast.
Leading South East Asian renewable energy firm Sunseap has received US$10.7 million (SGD$15 million) from the United Overseas Bank (UOB) for commercial solar projects in Singapore.
PV and electronics equipment manufacturing and automation specialist Manz AG has received €50 million from Chinese JV partners Shanghai Electric Group and Shenhua Group for turnkey CIGS thin-film production lines with a further €79 million also expected in May to start work on its largest ever equipment order.
Diversified engineering and infrastructure company RCR Tomlinson announced last week that it has been awarded a contract valued at approximately US$129 million with APA Group to design and construct a 110MW solar project.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Vietnam (MOIT) has released a draft circular containing guidelines on how to develop solar PV in the country, but has failed to address a range of issues that could impact large-scale project bankability, according to analysis from multinational law firm Baker McKenzie.
Vertically-integrated solar firm and industrial goods company Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) had 370MW in its solar PV portfolio at the end of FY2016/17, of which 360MW was ground-mount and 10MW was rooftop.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Trina Solar has reported a verified N-type monocrystalline Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cell with a conversion efficiency of 24.13%. Japan Electrical Safety & Environment Technology Laboratories (JET) verified the results.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) launched its new investment plan prioritising how to use US$800 million worth of funds in the next few years, with solar PV innovation one of the main new areas of focus.
This week's Movers & Shakers segment features executive shuffles in energy storage companies and an O&M firm, while examining a new merger between Spain's Gamesa and Siemens Wind Power. Spain's Renewable Energy Association elects a new president for the next four years, and Jon Wellinghoff exits SolarCity amid the US$2 billion Tesla acquisition.
