Covid-19

Also in the brief: a lawsuit filed against the Spotsylvania solar project, West Virginia’s solar future sits at the governor’s desk, 16 MW for Richmond, Indiana and more.

Tesla’s Nevada operation is still open for business. The EV and battery maker assures the market that its cash position is strong enough to weather an “extended period of uncertainty.”

Also in the brief: financing for a massive Texas project, distributed portfolio expansion in the DMV, Duke waives fees amid COVID crisis and more.

Byron Bay-based solar retailer Smart Energy says it is seeing an unprecedented surge in sales and inquiries for solar and home energy storage as consumers look to shore themselves up in uncertain times.

ACORE and five other environmental and renewable energy groups have written to Congress urging for start construction and safe harbor deadline extensions, as well as tax credits for stand-alone energy storage to relieve any industry hardships brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analyst Wood Mackenzie expects solar demand to decline but predicts the market will recover, with the prospects for the energy transition remaining intact.

You know the bad news. Here are five takeaways from the pre-COVID-19 U.S. solar industry. As for how the coronavirus will impact 2020 foreacasts, supply chains, component costs and project timelines, stay safe and stay tuned.

Also in the brief: Enphase ships storage; homeless encampments using secondhand solar; big batteries.

Many solar factories in China are starting to resume production, suggesting that concerns about supplies of PV components could soon begin to ease. Nevertheless, the temporary standstill will have an impact on the global solar market, as the implementation of some projects will probably be postponed until next year.

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.