pvMB 3/7/19: PanelClaw Partners with Yotta, China plans a space-based solar station…and more!
Hey evrybody, the weekend is nearly here, but what’s already here is your Thursday edition of the pvMB. Today we’re taking a look at San Diego Gas and Electric’s time-of-use billing, Microsoft purchasing 74 MW of solar energy in North Carolina, HellermannTyton releasing First Solar module-specific wire hardware and everything else that matters today in solar.
Hanwha Q-Cells sues to keep Jinko, Longi and REC Group out of the U.S. market
The Korean/German solar manufacturer has filed patent infringement lawsuits against the three companies in the United States, and is seeking to bar them from importing solar products for the U.S. market. Hanwha Q Cells claims its three rivals have used its patented solar cell passivation technology to increase the performance of their products.
SunPower brings its A game to high efficiency
The company has rolled out its new A-Series modules as the first product using SunPower’s NGT solar cells, based on larger wafers and a streamlined manufacturing process. But will this be enough to get SunPower back to the black in its finances?
1366 Technologies and Hanwha Q Cells to open wafer factory in Malaysia
The U.S. wafer maker and the Korean module manufacturer expect to ramp the Malaysian factory no later than September. The fab is next to Hanwha’s existing cell and module facilities and 1366 Technologies plans to produce its Direct Wafers on a gigawatt scale for less than $0.20 per piece.
Trump trade announcement offers hope of breakthrough
The president last night announced he is hoping to arrange a meeting with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping to bring an end to the long-running trade stand-off between the two nations, provided further progress can be made in negotiations.
First Solar is sitting pretty
The thin film PV maker reported solid year-end 2018 results, with future bookings extending out four years and the fourth of five Series 6 factories already online.
Sungrow surpasses 1 GW of U.S. inverter contracts for 2019
The Chinese inverter maker expects to more than double its U.S. shipments this year – trade war be damned.
On the anniversary of the Section 201 tariffs, Trump talks trade
There are indications that the Trump Administration may be reaching a deal with Chinese authorities, but the trade war goes on.
Tesla dives deeper into energy storage, as solar slumps
Elon Musk’s company is seeing tremendous success with its EVs and global manufacturing, as well as dramatically scaling its energy storage deployment. However the Solar Roof is still not being widely deployed.
Corporate clean energy smashes records
Companies in the United States accounted for more than 60% of the clean energy deals signed by corporations worldwide last year, according to BloombergNEF. A proposed renewable portfolio standard for Chinese business, though, could turn the picture upside down in a year’s time.
