Panasonic and Pika up the pace
Pika Energy has increased its home battery capacity to 17.1 kWh – about half an average home’s daily usage. The units are powered by Panasonic lithium-ion cells.
Hurricane Maria moves Solartech Universal’s expansion to South Florida
Solartech Universal plans to expand its current 80 MW/year capacity by 180 MW/year. The company is seeking a facility in South Florida.
Tesla Powerwall adds time-based control
A software update for the Powerwall 2 home energy storage system adds controls to allow owners to take advantage of time of use electricity rates in California and other states
California residential solar power headed toward $1/W and 2.5¢/kWh
ASU energy security researcher Dr. Wesley Herche and pv magazine author John Weaver describe the new math involved with requiring solar power to be installed at the time of construction for newly built homes.
Solar panel imports down 50% in the first two months of 2018
The EIA’s monthly solar module import report shows that after a ramp up in in mid-2017, volumes of imported PV modules crashed in January and February.
Rudolph Libbe to lead construction of new First Solar factory
The firm is building the $400 million factory, its for First Solar – and creating 500 construction jobs in the process
Dividend’s solar power securitization receives industry’s first “AA” rating
Dividend Finance has closed a $104 million residential solar loan securitization, following on its first $129 million securitization in October 2017.
Will Powerhouse rise from the dead? RGS taps manufacturing partners
RGS Energy has contracted with Risen Energy, along with others, to help it commercialize the most recent incarnation of Dow’s Powerhouse Solar Shingle.
Korea, Japan to retaliate over U.S. solar tariffs
Korea is making good on an earlier promise, and now Japan has joined in. Both nations demand that the Trump Administration reverse the tariffs, or suffer an equivalent volume of retaliatory tariffs.
RGS Energy seeks $10M to commercialize Powerhouse solar shingles
RGS Energy, which bought global rights to Dow’s Powerhouse 3.0 solar shingles, has seen its timelines slip for UL certification of the product.
