Asia

Also in the brief: First Solar will supply Geronimo Energy with 415 MW of Series 6 modules, a D.C. circuit court hears about a vital FERC energy storage order, the Midwest Solar Expo will not be postponed and more.

Longi and Sungrow both announced solid financial results last week. Module maker China Solar delayed the resumption of trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, and polysilicon producer GCL-Poly unveiled plans to raise up to $16.8 million by issuing shares. Coal miner Baofeng Energy, meanwhile, announced the construction of what it claims will be the world’s largest PV-powered hydrogen plant, and Seraphim and Lu’An Solar revealed that they will open a 5 GW PV panel factory in China’s Jiangsu province.

Although it doesn’t seem to impact solar directly, energy storage might be threatened. “The order leaves more questions than it answers,” according to Norton Rose Fulbright. What is motivating the administration? China? Why now?

Also in the brief: Chinese EV startup Nio has secured a $1 billion investment, Kore Power has entered into a strategic partnership with ELM FieldSight, Nautilus Solar Energy has closed on a $90 million debt financing agreement and more.

IEA PVPS report: Global solar demand increased by 12% in 2019 compared to 2018 — but that was BC. According to the report, photovoltaics provided just under 3% of global electricity needs in 2019.

Analysis from Wood Mackenzie shows global inverter demand grew 18% last year. The ten largest inverter suppliers accounted for 76% of the global trade.

Trina Solar has been manufacturing its 500 W modules for a month now and plans to increase module output to more than 600 W in the future.

The ten largest solar tracker companies accounted for 88% of the market last year, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie, with the market growing 20% from 2018.

The solar efficiency leader remains on track to complete its planned split into two independently focused pure-play solar companies by the end of the second quarter.

A 120 MW solar plant located in a fishery near Cixi, in the Chinese province of Zhejiang, was recently completed. The plant, which secured a rate of $0.12/kWh, is the second phase of a 320 MW project owned by Chinese developer Hangzhou Fengling.