South Korea urges U.S. to exempt firms from polysilicon tariffs
South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) is urging the United States to exempt its companies from Section 232 polysilicon tariffs, warning that restrictions could disrupt $2.8 billion in U.S. solar investments.
Global electricity demand to rise in 2026 as renewables lead, says IEA
Global electricity demand is set to rise more than 3% per year through 2026, driven by growth in Asia and greater use across industry, data centers, and transport, with renewables, gas, and nuclear meeting most of the increase, says the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Manitoba launches retrofit program to cut home heating costs
The Canadian province of Manitoba has launched the Affordable Home Energy Program to support ground-source heat pump adoption in electrically heated homes. The initiative, run by Efficiency Manitoba, offers no-upfront-cost options and could cut household electricity bills by up to CAD 1,000 ($730) per year.
Enphase Energy to cut 17% of workforce, shut down production in Mexico
Enphase Energy says it plans to restructure its operations, reducing its global workforce by 17% – about 500 employees and contractors – and closing its contract manufacturing site in Mexico.
Polysilicon giant Daqo shrugs off COVID-19 fears with positive outlook for 2020
The Chinese polysilicon giant’s net income fell nearly 23% year-on-year to $29.5 million in fiscal 2019, even though it posted a 16% year-on-year jump in revenue to $350 million. It expects its polysilicon output to soar in the year ahead, despite the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
BlackRock vows to exit coal as part of new climate-focused investment strategy
The U.S. asset management fund’s plan to cut future investment in coal is reportedly part of a climate-focused initiative to establish sustainability at the center of its business approach. The announcement comes weeks after the investor closed $1 billion of a record $2.5 billion fund focused on PV, wind and energy storage projects.
Amazon announces plans for 45 MW of solar
The e-commerce group will invest an undisclosed sum in a 45 MW solar array in the U.S. state of Virginia. It also plans to invest in a 23.2 MW wind farm in Ireland.
REC Silicon scraps stock placement as WA plant teeters on edge of shutdown
Stock in the polysilicon manufacturer appeared to be recovering in early trading on the Oslo exchange this morning after it cancelled plans for a private placement of as many as 50 million shares.
EVs may account for more than half of global car sales by 2040: BNEF
Electric vehicles could account for more than half of all passenger cars and buses sold throughout the world within the next two decades, according to a new report by BloombergNEF. Sliding lithium-ion battery costs will make EVs cheaper than vehicles based on internal combustion engines by the mid- to late-2020s, the research firm says.
NEXTracker maintains dominance of global tracker market
The global market for solar trackers expanded by 20% in 2018, with total international shipments spiking 36% year-on-year to surpass the 20 GW mark, according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie. NEXTracker and Array Technologies maintained their industry dominance, but a number of smaller competitors claimed a greater share of the global market in the 12 months to the end of December than ever before.
