Boom time: the pv magazine USA week in review
It’s a complicated time in the U.S. solar industry, with a booming market for utility-scale solar and increasing public interest, but also collapsed PV module prices and shifts in production.
Boom time in Texas
Texas has been only a modest solar market to date, but that is changing fast. A boom started by municipal utilities and enabled by free transmission is expected to lead to a massive amount of utility-scale solar coming online over the next five years, and even more over the next decade.
More than 10 GW of utility-scale solar is under construction in the United States
Eight states have more than 400 MW-DC of projects under construction each, showing increasing market diversification.
Obama touts success of solar at SXSL event
The president also spoke about the need for energy storage at the event, which was inspired by the South-by-Southwest conference.
Mission Solar Energy to close cell lines, lay off 87 employees
The bifacial PV maker will be closing 200 MW of cell capacity in Texas and sourcing cells from an un-named Asian PV cell maker.
NRG snatches up 2.1 GW of SunEdison projects
The energy giant has put forth the winning bid for SunEdison wind and solar projects at under $0.10 per watt.
2.05 GW of solar PV installed in the United States during Q2
GTM Research expects 13.9 GW to be installed over the full year, the result of an ongoing utility-scale boom.
GCL-Poly agrees to buy $150 million of SunEdison’s manufacturing business
The Chinese polysilicon and PV maker will buy three of SunEdison’s manufacturing businesses involved in polysilicon production up until cell production, amid rumors that it is also planning to make a bid for SunEdison’s controlling stake in TerraForm Power.
El Paso Electric drops solar demand charge in settlement
While the solar-specific charge was dropped as part of a settlement, the utility will increase fixed charges on its Texas customers.
Sierra Club highlights 100% renewable communities
The environmental group’s latest report looks at 10 communities in the United States that are moving to 100% renewable energy.
