As previously reported there was a significant slowdown in global solar PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the third quarter of 2017, which we highlighted was hardly surprising due to significant level of expansions plans announced in the first half of the year. However, despite increased concerns over the potential imposition of restrictive trade practices in the US and India in the fourth quarter of 2017, there was a significant rebound over the previous quarter, leading to the highest recorded gigawatts of new expansion announcements.
Equis Energy has achieved financial close on the 127MW Tailem Bend Solar Project in South Australia, which has a reserved area to hold a battery storage installation of up to 100MWh in the future.
Efficiency gains and productivity improvements are set to dominate the PV manufacturing landscape again in 2018, with strong investments continuing to flow into existing and new cell architectures, with gigawatt-level status now becoming the norm for the manufacturing segment, writes Finlay Colville.
Leading thin-film manufacturer First Solar said at its 2017 Analyst Day event that it was already building its second CdTe module plant in Vietnam to support the transition to its Series 6 large format panel.
Saudi Arabia has announced a US$500 billion investment for an industrial and business zone spanning 26,000 square km (10,230 square miles) over three countries, to be fully powered by solar energy and wind power.
When manufacturing capacities moved from megawatt to gigawatt ten years ago, the concept of having a fully-integrated and automated production site was widely accepted to be the most economical, Finlay Colville examines whether this is truly the case.
What a start to the PV Taiwan 2017 week! There have been some rather tame mergers and acquisitions in the solar PV industry over the years - not to mention the shuffling of zombie factories within China – but the news today that Neo Solar Power, Gintech Energy Corp., and Solartech Energy are planning to merge is worthy of far more scrutiny.
Renewable energy company Ameresco, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts and BlueWave Solar announced Tuesday that they have completed five community solar projects in Massachusetts.
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has said that EDF Energies Nouvelles (EDF EN)has acquired an 80% interest in its 115MW Pirapora II PV power plant project in Brazil.
