Polysilicon giant Daqo shrugs off COVID-19 fears with positive outlook for 2020
The Chinese polysilicon giant’s net income fell nearly 23% year-on-year to $29.5 million in fiscal 2019, even though it posted a 16% year-on-year jump in revenue to $350 million. It expects its polysilicon output to soar in the year ahead, despite the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak.
Solutions to replacing aging and failing inverters
Optimizer manufacturer Alencon has published a paper outlining the technical challenges and solutions to replacing the largely-obsolete and frequently-failing 600-volt central inverters used in older PV projects.
Vivint continues residential solar growth, hopes to catch up on energy storage
Shares of Vivint dropped after the solar installer/financier posted a larger-than-expected fourth-quarter loss and sales missed expectations. Vivint posted a net loss of $33.5 million, compared with a loss of $12.9 million, in the year-ago quarter.
Jinko enters the residential solar game with a bang
The new n-type panels, which offer 405W of power output and an efficiency rate of 21.22%, are the manufacturer’s first designed specifically for homes.
Morning Brief: Indiana passes HB 1414, PG&E, FEMA agree to wildfire settlement
Also in the brief: NJR Clean Energy Ventures acquires the country’s largest floating solar array, a clean energy advocate has been named to Wisconsin’s PSC, a community solar farm proposed in Maine and more.
Tesla solar glass roof tile photo gallery update
Videos from very involved solar roof owners. Some before and after photos. More tile boxes from China.
WattBuy to automate and expand NREL’s utility rate database
“Electricity providers will have to treat renewable energy customers as cost-conscious customers once these customers can look at data across the board.”
Morning Brief: Goldman Sachs and Telos form solar development outfit, Electrify America invests $2 million in EV chargers
Also in the brief: Powerhome named to Fast Company’s ‘Most Innovative Companies’ list, a Colorado town goes 100% renewable municipal electricity from a solar installation, a Minnesota couple wins a $50,000 prize for a module heating solution and more.
Bifacial PV modules are going mainstream but more field data is needed — and NREL is on the case
Getting the most out of a bifacial module requires a rethink at almost every level of system design and the industry is hungry for field data generated by such systems to better inform energy yield modeling and define the best approaches to maximizing yield at minimal cost. NREL’s three-year study into bifacial performance is beginning to yield results.
Lessons to be learned from Italy’s alleged PV recycling fraud
The alleged resale in developing countries of solar modules sent for end-of-life recycling in Sicily could have an important lesson for the PV industry: select reliable recycling entities to avoid potential trouble further down the line. The PV industry should also avoid another potential risk, that of the illegal disposal of PV waste outside the EU.
