Shell moves to acquire Sonnen
In May, oil giant Shell invested in battery maker sonnen. Now the 112-year-old company wants to fully acquire the business.
Researchers hit new organic PV record
A team of scientists at Germany’s Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen Nürnberg has set an efficiency record of 12.25% for a non-fullerene based organic solar cell.
Beyond 40% – Fraunhofer ISE hits new module efficiency record
Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (ISE) has set a new world record for PV module efficiency. Scientists at the institute achieved 41.4% efficiency for a solar module using both tandem cell and high-concentration PV technology.
SMA, BYD charge into the US market
The German inverter maker has joined forces with the Chinese battery maker after losing U.S. market share to SolarEdge. This follows BYD linking up with Kostal to optimize communication interfaces between inverters and storage applications.
PJM subsidiary to test blockchain for trading RECs
The platform will be designed to enable tracking and peer-to-peer trading of certificates at the kilowatt-hour scale, at low cost and with improved ease of use.
Schletter acquisition could save North Carolina factory
The company’s U.S. subsidiary is part of the purchasing agreement, which appears to come just in time as the factory in Shelby was running out of funds to operate.
Global PV module prices collapse
The predicted fall in global PV module prices appears to have already begun, with PV Insights and EnergyTrend reporting average prices in the $0.27-$0.37 cent per watt range.
Innogy to develop 440 MW solar pipeline in the US southeast
Innogy’s US subsidiary will gain exclusive rights for the acquisition of 13 solar PV projects currently owned by North Carolina’s Birdseye Renewable Energy. The projects have a cumulative capacity of 440MW and are at various stages of development.
Sonnen secures $70 million from Shell for US, Aus expansion
The battery integrator has already began to draw on the funds as it continues to expand its market presence in the United States and in Australia. Shell Ventures is now a major sonnen investor and and the companies have agreed to future cooperation.
Mercedes-Benz brand to leave the U.S. residential battery market
Parent company Daimler will continue to offer batteries for residential applications to selected partners, but no longer under Mercedes Benz Energy. The company plans to align the stationary storage segment with its grid business.
