Switzerland PECVD equipment startup will supply one of its Octopus II systems to a U.S.-based research group. It is the fifth Octopus system INDEOtec has supplied to laboratories globally.

Microfinance provider Finca International has announced plans to finance off-grid solar systems to light up the lives of 1.5 million people in Africa. The deal was announced at a White House Forum on off-grid energy yesterday.

Germany’s SMA has hit 1 GW of inverter sales in Thailand. SMA has been active in the leading Southeast Asian solar nation since 1998.

U.S. solar lease and loan provider Sunnova has closed a debt and equity funding round to continue its growth in North American residential market. The $300 million round bring its its total fundraising to $900 million.

Australian Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt appears to be shaping towards initiating subsidies for the installation of battery storage. The Minister addressed attendees on the opening day of the All Energy trade show in Melbourne yesterday, indicating that new programs to support cleantech deployment may be forthcoming, declaring that “energy storage is the new black.”

Low loads diesel gensets could open the way for higher levels of solar PV deployment at mine sites. A new study has revealed how the modified gensets can buffer solar arrays in the resource sector, saving energy costs for mine operators.

The International Energy Agency anticipates that renewable energy will make up the majority of new electricity generating capacity over the next five years, with solar PV being the second largest generation technology.

German researchers have applied the approach used by invisibility cloak research to direct sunlight around busbars and metallization fingers to potentially increase PV cell and module efficiency. The research was carried out by a team of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and could potentially increase cell efficiency by 10%.

The UK’s Oxford PV has raised a further GBP4.4 million (US$6.6 million) in a “top-up” Round B, to continue with its work in commercialization perovskite technology. Drawing on both new and existing investors, Oxford has now raised a total of GBP8.2 million (US$12.4 million) in its B round.

U.S. thin film producer and developer First Solar has secured a loan facility from Mizuho Bank to develop utility scale PV projects in Japan. The loan is for US$33 million and First Solar has indicated that it will work with local companies to realize the solar farms in the country.