EnergyTrend: Demand for mono-si solar PV cells to increase in Q2 2014

Sunday, 4.20.2014 - 9:13 (Solarserver)

TrendForce's (Taipei) EnergyTrend division predicts that monocrystalline silicon (mono-si) solar photovoltaic (PV) cell demand will increase during the second quarter of 2014, due to narrowing price gaps with multicrystalline silicon (multi-si) PV and a greater market share of distributed PV. The company notes that there is little room for further price increases in the spot market, but it expects some fluctuations in spot prices to continue. EnergyTrend says that the economic case for mono-si is bolstered by higher efficiencies, with current Chinese mono-si PV cell conversion efficiencies around 18.4%, versus 17.4-17.6% for Taiwanese multi-si. Read more

North America reaches 5 million square feet of solar air heating collector area

Sunday, 4.20.2014 - 9:09 (Solarserver)

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA, Washington D.C.) reports that 5 million square feet (460,000 square meters) of building-integrated solar air heating collectors are now installed in North America, which it describes as a “major milestone” for the industry. This represents 250 MW-thermal of capacity. While SEIA did not provide a breakdown by geography, International Energy Agency (IEA, Paris) data from previous years indicates that unglazed solar air heating systems in Canada have historically represented the bulk of installed capacity in the continent. Read more

Trina Solar puts online 23.8 MW of UK solar PV plants

Sunday, 4.20.2014 - 9:04 (Solarserver)

Trina Solar Ltd. (Changzhou, China) has commissioned two solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in England totaling 23.8 MW, as the developer and sole investor. The plants in Cornwall and Dorset also utilize Trina PC05A 255-watt PV modules. The company began construction on the two plants in December 2013, and completed both on schedule in March 2014, allowing them to earn the 1.6 Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) rate. Trina estimates that this is equivalent to GBP 0.4202 (USD 0.71) per kWh. Read more

BayWa builds 18 MW UK solar PV plant in nine weeks

Sunday, 4.20.2014 - 8:59 (Solarserver)

BayWa AG's (Munich) renewable energy division has commissioned an 18 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Wales, which it built and put online in nine weeks despite “constant bad weather”. The Whitland PV plant comprises 69,000 multicrystalline silicon PV modules on fixed-tilt mounting systems covering 28 hectares in the village of Whitland. This is BayWa r.e.'s fourth utility-scale PV plant in the UK. Read more

Sol Systems and HASI to provide up to USD 100 million in financing for mid-sized distributed solar PV

Sunday, 4.20.2014 - 8:53 (Solarserver)

Sol Systems LLC (Washington D.C.) and Hannon Armstrong Sustainable Infrastructure Capital Inc. (HASI, Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.) have announced plans to provide up to USD 100 million in construction and term debt financing for developers and owners of distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the United States. Sol Systems and HASI will jointly originate, structure and fund this debt financing for PV projects in the commercial, industrial, municipal and utility-scale markets. This will combine Sol Systems' transactional expertise in PV with HASI's capital resources and the company's ability to fund multiple transactions on a programmatic basis. Read more