Asia & Oceania

Indebted PV module manufacturer Yingli Green Energy has been rumoured to be securing over US$500 million in new debt financing from a Chinese state bank and a provincial government where it operates manufacturing facilities.

The willingness of politicians to support solar looks set to become a key issue in the forthcoming federal elections in Australia, a poll suggests.

Solar projects commissioned under government of India and state policies are likely to reach 3,790MW within the year 2015/16, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

European solar manufacturers have joined a protest in Brussels calling for the European Union not to grant market economy status (MES) to China.

India’s ambitious solar energy target could spark the creation of one million jobs, but producing a skilled workforce may be challenging, according to new report.

Leading CIS (copper, indium, selenium) thin-film producer Solar Frontier reported that its main manufacturing plant ran at almost full capacity in 2015.

Energy storage is to be included in India’s state-run solar energy tenders for the first time under plans to help smoother integration of renewables into the grid.

Solar PV has now hit 5GW of installed capacity in Australia, according to consultancy firm SunWiz.

Ontario-based semiconductor manufacturer Solantro Semiconductor is partnering with tracker company Smarttrak to help with remote management of PV trackers in India.

Japan’s renewable energy laws are likely to result in the introduction of an auction process for large-scale solar, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) confirming that it has put a plan for approval before the cabinet.