IEA: Solar fastest growing energy source in 2016
The International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2017 report finds that solar PV capacity grew 50% last year, underpinning a 12% increase in this year’s renewables forecast and prompting the IEA to forecast 1,000 GW of clean energy by 2022.
ITC hearing coverage part 1: Suniva, SolarWorld double down on trade proposals
As the first half of the Section 201 remedy hearing comes to a close, Suniva and SolarWorld have made a case for a combination of tariffs and either quotas or a 74-cent minimum module price, and foreign governments have sought exemptions.
Possible exemptions to Section 201: A lifeline for the U.S. market?
Friday’s ruling by the ITC found no injury from several nations including Canada and Singapore, which could exempt imports from these nations from trade action. What does that mean for the U.S. market?
Toshiba claims record efficiency with film-based perovskite solar mini-modules
Japan’s Toshiba has fabricated a perovskite solar cell mini-module with an energy conversion rate of 10.5%, which it claims is now the highest rate that has been reached throughout the world with a multi-cell mini-module.
Renewables trouncing nuclear, report shows
Global nuclear power generation increased by 1.4%, whereas solar power output grew by 30% and wind by 16% in 2016, with all renewables representing 62% of global power generating capacity additions, finds the 2017 World Nuclear Industry Status Report.
BYD to supply 170 MW of PV modules to NextEra
The Tesla of China has also announced plans to launch its high-voltage B-Box residential battery system in the United States.
LG’s back-contact PV module is now available
LG unveiled both a new high-power 365W, 60-cell residential module, and a new AC module with an Enphase microinverter and wifi communications on board.
Sunpreme bags deal to supply 150 MW of heterojunction solar modules to TGCM
The deal with the asset management firm is one of the largest supply agreements for heterojunction modules reported to date, and the Section 201 case may play a role.
The case for U.S. solar manufacturing
In this op-ed for pv magazine, SolarWorld Americas CEO Juergen Stein argues that more stringent trade measures are needed to protect U.S. solar cell and module manufacturing from subsidized Chinese imports.
Perovskite has changed its status to single (cell)
In another breakthrough for the material so many solar advocates hope will replace traditional silicon in module production, a group of scientists in China and the United States have produced the first monocrystalline perovskite cell, which could accelerate its acceptance as a silicon replacement.
