Latin America

PV power plants: Corporations want in on the falling costs and predictable prices of wind and solar. Bilateral power purchase agreements have emerged as one new business model among several that businesses are employing as they get serious about renewable energy, both in the United States and abroad.

Brookfield has agreed to acquire a 51% stake in yieldco TerraForm Power and plans to become the company’s sponsor, as well as acquiring TerraForm Global outright.

The move is a step toward regaining regulatory compliance, in advance of a potential purchase by Brookfield.

The joint First Solar/SunPower yieldco reported strong results, including acquiring shares of the Henrietta and Stateline projects.

ETAP, a power system software provider, is helping the island nation of Aruba develop microgrids as the government pushes for 100% renewables by 2020.

GameChange Solar is about to ship 6 MW of PV to an unidentified island in the Caribbean, helping the region recover from the widespread damage wrought by Hurricane Matthew late last year.

The yieldco’s first statement regarding its 2016 financials shows plenty of cash, but Global is remaining in the red overall.

NASDAQ has sent letters to both yieldcos warning them that the failure to hold annual general meetings in 2016 serves as an “additional” cause for de-listing, after late financial statements.

Albuquerque-based Rio Grande Renewables has complete what is being call the largest microgrid in Central America, a 276 kW/500 kW PV+storage project in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

The yieldco’s overdue filing of its 2015 financial report is a step towards compliance with NASDAQ trading rules; however TerraForm Global’s losses exceeded its revenue in 2015 and the company has warned that it may not be able to continue.