The Indian government has announced plans to build the world’s biggest solar power plant, in the Rajasthan province. While huge, at 4 GW in total capacity, the project’s timeline is a long one.

Chinese state-owned Shanghai Electric Power has signed a memorandum of understanding paving the way for a €200 million investment in Malta’s state-owned energy company. The move would be the first step to Chinese module manufacture in the EU.

Jörg Althaus, business field manager for solar energy at TÜV Rheinland, discusses how unannounced factory inspections and market surveillance may make a difference as the focus on PV power plant and component quality increases.

Gremany’s Wirsol Solar and Greenpower Capital, through their Japanese JV, have announced today the acquisition of a 22 MW utility scale PV installation in Japan. The project was initially developed by Japan’s Chikyu Factory Service.

Japanese thin film producers and PV developer Solar Frontier is trumpeting the performance of its modules in hot climates, having released production data from its 10.5 MW Al-Midra Tower solar car park installation.

Greentech Media’s (GTM) Eric Wesoff has reported that CPV developer SolFocus has wound up operations. As Wesoff writes: “The company’s website, phone line, and twitter feed are dead.”

New analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has concluded that southern Japanese utilities could have less that 1 GW of grid capacity remaining for new solar and wind projects.

Australian dye-sensitized photovoltaic technology developer Dyesol has racked up more than AUD$9 million in losses (US$8.02 million) and seen its revenues fall by almost half, in the 2013 Australian financial year – which closed at the end of July, 2013.

David Pérez, partner at Eclareon in Madrid, Spain, discusses emerging markets in Latin America and the growing prospects for photovoltaics in the region.

Jan Willem Vos, the international account manager for Solar Insurance and Finance, discusses whether the certification of photovoltaic components is sufficient to ensure quality for project investors.