US government funds $253 million in international solar during 2017
The U.S. government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) increased clean energy financing in 2017, despite the arrival of the Trump Administration and an ongoing investigation.
Guggenheim: Sale of CAFD, NYLD casts doubt on the yieldco space
A research note by Guggenheim Securities says that the discounted sales of NRG Yield and 8point3 Energy Partners show how difficult it has been for investors to accurately value yieldcos, and undermines confidence.
US researchers develop new redox flow compound
A team of scientists from the U.S. University of Rochester has developed a compound, which it says could double the effectiveness of redox flow batteries, and “transform the energy storage landscape”.
APS, First Solar to install Arizona’s largest battery system
The Arizona-based module manufacturer will install a 50 MW battery system charged by a 65 MW solar farm under a 15-year power contract with the U.S. state’s largest utility.
Enphase and Panasonic announce AC module partnership
Company confirms Panasonic’s HIT modules to be fitted with Enphase Energy’s new IQ7X Microinverter as part of the partnership, while Enphase’s new IQ7X microinverter due to be released in May in North America, Enphase confirms.
Wacker Chemie boosts 2017 sales volume by 6% Y-O-Y
German-headquartered polysilicon producer attains 2017 sales and earnings target, posting €4.92 billion in sales and net income of €885 million.
Kann, Shiao: No US “manufacturing renaissance” due to solar tariffs
The latest analysis by current and former GTM Research executives argues that there is insufficient economic reason to manufacture solar in the United States.
Tesla solar deployments slide further in Q4
With only 87 MW deployed, Tesla/SolarCity may no longer be the largest distributed solar company in the United States, but its energy storage business is growing.
US solar jobs fell 3.8% in 2017
The hangover from the ITC-driven boom in 2016 in the U.S. is the biggest factor in the relative decline, and a rebound is expected in 2019.
The unexpected benefits of replacing tobacco plantations with solar farms
Although tobacco consumption is the key cause of avoidable deaths worldwide, its cultivation remains the main source of income for many farmers. Now, two researchers from the Michigan Technological University claim that converting tobacco fields to solar farms could be beneficial for two purposes: reducing deaths and helping solar energy fight climate change.
