[ Mar 2018 ]¡¡¡¡¡¡

(Mar 30, 2018/pv-tech.org)

US-based clean energy firm NextEra Energy and parent of utility, Florida Power & Light has officially acknowledged a massive solar module supply deal with leading ¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member, JinkoSolar.

NextEra Energy said in a joint statement that it had amended a previously unannounced supply deal with JinkoSolar that increases it to a total of 2,750MW over a four year period. The SMSL had previously announced in January that it had secured a 1,700MW supply deal in the US over a three-year period, without identifying the purchaser.

The SMSL had also recently announced that it would build its first module assembly plant in the US in Jacksonville, Florida, with very few details made public.

However, the joint statement noted that JinkoSolar would operate a state-of-the-art factory in Jacksonville with a nameplate capacity of 400MW. The supply deal with NextEra Energy assumes an annual demand of 687MW per annum over the four-year agreement.

"Investing in this solar panel manufacturing facility makes clear our commitment to Florida and the growing US market," said Kangping Chen, CEO of JinkoSolar. "This will be one of the world's most advanced solar panel manufacturing facilities, which will provide us with the flexibility and manufacturing capacity to support our local partners and growing US customer base."

JinkoSolar was also noted to use the ¡®Port of Jacksonville for a large volume of importing and exporting activities'.

In 2015, Korean-owned Hanwha Q CELLS secured a 1,500MW module supply deal with NextEra Energy Partners for projects to be built in 2016, which was the largest such supply deal publicly announced at the time.

JinkoSolar has also received inward investment funding from local government authorities to establish the module assembly plant.

¡ö TNB signs PPAs for another 60MW of Malaysian PV projects

(Mar 30, 2018/pv-tech.org)

UPDATED: Malaysian utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has signed 21-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with KBJ Hecmy and Redsol for two 30MW(AC) solar projects in Malaysia.

One PPA signing was with Redsol, a special purpose company of Fumase and Scatec Solar Malaysia, for a 30MW(AC) project in Mukim Beriah, Daerah Kerian, Perak.

The other PPA signing was with special purpose company, KBJ Hecmy, for a 30MW(AC) solar project in western Peninsular Malaysia. KBJ Hecmy will design, construct, own, operate and maintain the project at Mukim Chuping, Bukit Keteri, Perlis. The PPA has an expected commercial operation date of 1 December 2020.

Earlier this week, TNB announced the signing of PPAs for a further 180MW of projects, which were also part of the country¡¯s Large-Scale Solar (LSS) program - the latest in a string of PPA signings.

Updated to include a second PPA signing with Redsol.

¡ö LONGi plans 228MW solar project in Ningxia, China

(Mar 30, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Leading integrated high-efficiency monocrystalline module manufacturer and ¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member LONGi Green Energy Technology plans to build a 228MW solar PV project in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of north-central China, according to a Shanghai Stock Exchange filing.

The investment for the project at Majiatan Town, Lingwu City, is valued at CNY1.365 billion (US$217 million). Once complete, average annual power generation is expected to eb about 3.29 million kWh over an operational period of 25 years.

The project will use monocrystalline components. LONGi set up a wholly-owned subsidiary, Lingwu Longqiao Photovoltaic New Energy Co., in January 2018 to oversee the project.

¡ö Hanergy¡¯s new business model is selling thin-film production lines to industrial parks in China

(Mar 29, 2018/pv-tech.org)

China headquartered PV thin-film equipment and module producer Hanergy Thin Film Power Group (Hanergy TF) has created a completely new business model in 2017 that provides new industrial parks a selection from a portfolio of a-Si, CIGS, GaAs and c-Si heterojunction (HJ) turnkey production lines to provide local governments access to solar technology and attract other hi-tech companies to new industrial parks.

Hanergy TF noted in releasing its 2017 annual financial report that its new business, dubbed ¡®Industrial Parks Projects¡¯ that a company subsidiary, Hanergy Mobile Energy Holdings Co., Ltd., took a 20% stake in local governments planned industrial parks, which were also owned by the local government and various third party investors.

The shareholders of the industrial park project become the ultimate purchaser of Hanegy TF equipment and technology as the Hanergy subsidiary limits its shareholding below the 30% equity interest rules when Hanergy would be deemed an associate of a connected party.

The local governments then have solar manufacturing plants that can promote and deploy solar systems using the local plant from a priority perspective for distributed photovoltaic power generation and agricultural facilities, urban lights, public buses, electric vehicles, highways, and government funded poverty alleviation and other similar local projects.

This results in the local government being able to generate revenue from product sales from its majority owned local production plants, via local content rules for such projects granted by the local government.

¡®Industrial Parks Projects¡¯

The novel business model would seem to have already captured a number of clients. Hanergy TF said that by the end of 2017, three newly formed industrial park project companies in Mianyang Sichuan, Datong Shanxi and Zibo Shandong had purchased thin-film production lines from the company valued at approximately RMB 11.3 billion (US$1.79 billion).

Hanergy TF said that it also expected to sign further contracts under the Industrial Parks Projects business model.

Industrial Park Project in Mianyang Sichuan

The first industrial park project was said to have been created on 18 May 2017 with the Mianyang Sichuan local government, which signed an agreement to invest in the construction and installation of both a CIGS module and GaAs thin-film solar cell production lines, valued at RMB 6.6 billion (US$1.05 billion).

The contract is for the establishment of a ¡®thin film solar mobile energy industrial park¡¯ that in the first phase of a four phase plan includes a CIGS thin-film production plant with a nameplate capacity of 600MW. The CIGS technology comes from Hanergy TF¡¯s subsidiary GSE.

A 20MW flexible GaAs thin-film solar cell module line will also be supplied, and assumed to be using the technology from its subsidiary, Alta Devices.
Hanergy noted that it had received RMB1.2 billion (US$190.7 million from the project company, representing more than 40% of the total contract amount.

Industrial Park Project in Datong

The second contract was said to have been signed in July 2017 with the Datong Government of Shanxi Province and state-owned Datong Coal Mine Group Co.
The industrial park project plan was said to be comprised of three phases, which included the construction of a 250MW CIGS thin-film module facility as well as a 50MW flexible CIGS thin-film cell production line.

Phase 2 would see the addition of a 300MW flexible CIGS thin-film cell production line and the construction of a 20MW high-performance GaAs thin film cell production line. Phase 1 of the project which was said to be under construction required a total investment amount of RMB 2.272 billion (US$361 million).
For the construction of the Datong Mobile Energy Industrial Park, a project company known as Datong Dachang Mobile Energy Co., Ltd with Hanergy¡¯s subsidiary, Hanergy Mobile Energy Holdings Co., Ltd was created that would require a total amount of RMB 7 billion (US$1.11 billion) to invest in the solar manufacturing plans.

Hanergy also noted that it had already delivered part of the production equipment and the first 50MW packaging production line for the flexible thin-film solar cells at end of December, 2017 and received a payment of RMB 891.5 million (US$141.7 million).

Industrial Park Project in Zibo Shandong

The third contact is more complex as it would seem Hanergy Holdings, the parent of Hanergy TF had agreed to re-purpose a previous 3GW CIGS thin-film plant contracted between subsidiaries and the Zibo People¡¯s Government of Shandong Province, going back to December 2014.

In October 2017 a Hanergy TF subsidiary (Hanergy Solar Photovoltaic Technology) transferred a 57.52% equity interest in the project to state-owned Assets Management Company Limited of Zibo High-tech Industry Development Zone and Hanergy¡¯s industrial park subsidiary.

Zibo High-tech is expected to own a 33.33% equity interest and Huafengyuan Investment (Beijing) a 50% equity interest and be responsible for the operation of the industrial park project, once the transfer is completed.

The original contract being re-purposed includes equipment for two production lines of 450MW nameplate capacity using Hanergy TF CIGS thin-film technology from subsidiaries, Solibro and MiaSol¨¦. Hanergy TF said that approximately 73% and 72% of the project for the MiaSol¨¦ production lines contract and Solibro production lines had been completed under that original contract.

The transfer of the 57.52% equity interest in the project was said to have a value of HK$2.37 billion (US$302.5 million). Hanergy TF said the deal contributed HK$2,464 million to the Group in 2017; and HK$1,062 million (US$135.3 million) was recorded as income from a connected transaction as well as HK$1,402 million (US$178.6 million) contributed to revenue from 31 October 2017 to 31 December 2017, being recorded as sales revenue from a third party.

In total the three industrial park thin-film contracts total 1,840MW (Excluding the 2010, 3GW Zibo Shangdong contract).

Heterojunction (HJ) solar cell lines

Unrelated to the industrial park business model, Hanergy TF also highlighted a contract signed in October 2017 with Huafengyuan (Chengdu) New Energy Technology Co.,Ltd., for the purchase of 600MW of nameplate capacity of automated and integrated ¡®High Efficiency Silicon heterojunction (SHJ) solar cell¡¯ production lines and technology transfer, valued at RMB 1,39 billion (US$222.5 million) and RMB 175.9 million (US$27.9 million), respectively.

Hanergy TF noted that it had delivered the equipment for the first 120MW production line during 2017, with an advance from the customer of US$4.05 million.

Finally, Hanergy TF said that it had entered into a contract with Jingzhou Shunbai Solar Power Company Limited for 300MW of unspecified thin-film module production equipment that was specifically for the agricultural greenhouse market. The company said the contract was worth around US$213 million and that around 82% of project had been completed in 2017.

Hanergy TF therefore secured a total of 2,140MW of thin-film orders and a 600MW silicon HJ order. Total equipment orders outlined in its annual reported reached 2,740MW.

Manufacturing segment revenue of Hanergy TF from external customers was HK$3,028 billion (US$385.8 million) in 2017. Total revenue was HK$6.14 billion (US$783.3 million) in 2017 and a gross profit of approximately US$340.8 million.

¡ö Equis Energy commissions 135MW solar project in Karnataka, India

(Mar 29, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Renewable energy developer Equis Energy has commissioned its largest solar project, a 135MW farm in Bagalkot District in the Indian state of Karnataka.

The company has signed a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

The project has a generation output of approximately 224,000MWh per year supplying power to the equivalent of around 200,000 homes.

Equis has 897MW of solar and wind assets under operation, construction and advanced development in India, with 1,330MW of utility-scale solar and wind projects in development and expected to become operational within the next five years.

Nitin Apte, Equis Energy CEO, said: ¡°Equis Energy has nearly a gigawatt of renewable energy in operation and under development in India and we are excited about the prospects for continued growth, delivering low-cost, clean energy to Indian consumers and businesses.¡±

In January, fund manager Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and its co-investors closed on their acquisition of 100% of the equity interest in Equis Energy, in what is the largest renewable energy generation deal in history.

¡ö Winning tariffs around 3 rupees in Gujarat¡¯s 500MW solar auction

(Mar 29, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Two Gujarat-based entities and two major Indian PV players have won capacity in Gujarat¡¯s 500MW solar auction, held by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL).

Ahmedabad-headquartered firm Kalthia Engineering and Construction put in the lowest bid of INR2.98/kWh (US$0.046) for 50MW of capacity, while power firm Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL), a wholly owned subsidiary company of the Gujarat Electricity Board, won 150MW at INR3/kWh.

The four winners were as follows:

- Bidder/capacity awarded/tariff (INR/kWh)
- Kalthia Engineering and Construction/50/2.98
- Gujarat State Electricity Corporation/150/3
- Acme/100/3.06
- Azure Power/200/3.06

Mudit Jain, consultant at Bridge to India, told PV Tech: "The tariffs of this tender are INR0.35-0.40/kWh higher than the last tender issued by the same authority last year. [The] primary reason for this increase is the project development opportunities with over 12GW capacity tendered in last three months. Another factor at play is the looming risk of imposition of safeguard duties.

"Although MNRE has provided assurance to the project developers for protection against this duty for tenders allotted before imposition of this duty, most developers are still wary of discounting this risk altogether. As a result, the competition was significantly lower with many prominent developers not showing any interest in this tender."

Ali Imran Naqvi, vice president of advisory and engineering firm, Gensol Group, said: "Gujarat¡¯s 500MW solar auction seems to have bolstered the premise that solar is no more a rocket science and the economics are like a back-of-the envelope thing now. A simple glance over the range of tariffs (INR2.98-3.06/kWh) quoted by the winning bidders and the fact that the lowest bidder (Kalthia Engineering and Construction) has thrown its hat in the ring for the first time makes a strong case for this argument.

"The tariffs were, however, saddled, once again, with gumption and seasoned caution, keeping in mind the fact that Gujarat receives one of the best incident solar radiations in India after Rajasthan and that only recently (in September 2017) winning tariffs, for a capacity of 500MW, had varied between INR2.65 and INR2.67 per unit. What is more intriguing is the slowly building assumption that module prices will temper down a bit in the coming quarters, which, is corroborated by the inputs received from one of the Tier 1 module suppliers during our interaction with them in China this month."

Azure Power bid for 250MW overall, but only won 200MW. Acme, Azure and Hero (120MW) all bid at 3.06 rupees, but only Hero did not secure any capacity.

Other bidders included Gaya Solar (200MW), Shapoorji Pallonji (Sterling and Wilson) (50MW) and Mahindra Susten (200MW), who all put in bids below 3.3 rupees.

An extra 500MW capacity under a ¡°greenshoe option¡± may also now be offered up to bidders who are willing to execute PPAs with GUVNL at the lowest tariff (L1 rate) from the auction, at their originally quoted capacities. This would mean players would have to match INR2.98/kWh to secure capacity.

When the 500MW was tendered, it was hailed as innovative and likely to draw intense competition. GUVNL enjoys the highest credit rating amongst India's utilities, while the change-in-law provision suggests that the utility will absorb the risks of any imposition of anti-dumping or safeguard duties, which have been looming threats to project developers. The tender also did not include a benchmark tariff specification.

In contrast, tariff ceilings and lack of change-in-lay provisions had put developers off from bidding in the most recent 1.2GW auction in Karnataka, where tariffs for just 550MW ranged between 2.91-2.93 rupees, and a 1GW auction in Maharashtra, which was put off again due to poor response.

¡ö Masdar and Korea Energy Agency to collaborate on solar, floating PV and energy storage

(Mar 27, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Masdar, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Energy Agency (KEA) for renewable energy collaboration and investment between South Korea and the UAE.

Masdar and KEA aim to establish a strategic partnership to encourage renewable energy investment in Korea and to develop a number of renewable energy projects using solar, wind, energy storage, floating solar power and waste-to-energy technologies, among others.

¡°Masdar is proud to collaborate with industry leaders and like-minded companies that share the same values and goals as Masdar. Our partnership with the Korea Energy Agency will allow us to strengthen our relationship with Korea and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and new energy industry projects to improve energy security and spur innovation in smart urban development,¡± said Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar¡¯s chief executive.

Both parties may also expand the scope of the collaboration in the future to cover energy auditing, smart grids and other related areas.

The signing of the agreement follows the Korea-UAE bilateral Economic Cooperation Council meeting in March, where Masdar and KEA initiated the development of the partnership.

¡ö India ROUND-UP: 100MW floating delay, BHEL¡¯s 75MW Gujarat EPC contract, Karnataka awards 550MW

(Mar 27, 2018/pv-tech.org)

SECI postpones 100MW floating PV tender uploading

26 March: Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is to tender for 100MW of floating solar at Rihand Dam (Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar Reservoir), Sonbhadra District, Uttar Pradesh.

The RfS documents for the two separate 50MW projects, which were due to be uplaoded yesterday, will now be uploaded on 10 April. SECI has previously consulted on 10GW of floating PV across India.

BHEL bags 75MW EPC contract in Gujarat

26 March: Vertically-integrated solar firm and industrial goods company Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has won an EPC contract for a 75MW Solar PV plant in Gujarat Solar Park, Charanka, from Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited (GIPCL).

With this order, BHEL¡¯s solar portfolio has risen to 545MW. The company is presently executing over 150MW of ground-mounted and rooftop solar PV projects across the country.

Karnataka awards 550MW of solar

23 March: Karnataka Renewable Energy Development¡¯s (KREDL) tender for 1.2GW of PV projects at its Pavagada Solar Park saw a dim response from bidders, but 550MW of capacity has still been awarded to three developers.

The winners were:

- ReNew Power - 300 MW at INR2.91/kWh (US$0.045)
- Avaada - 150MW at INR2.92/kWh
- Azure Power - 100MW at INR2.93/kWh

¡ö Indian power minister appeals to battery manufacturers with solar-wind-storage tenders ahead

(Mar 26,2018/pv-tech.org)

Indian power minister R.K. Singh has chaired a meeting with battery-based energy storage manufacturers calling on them to set up manufacturing units in India.

Singh¡¯s urgency not only stemmed from the government¡¯s push on electric vehicles (EVs) and its expected surge in the coming years, but also because future tenders will cover hybrid solar and wind projects to be coupled with energy storage. Indeed, both Andhra Pradesh and Kerala are already working on such hybrid projects.

Singh said the government would soon release a policy with a focus on ¡®Make in India¡¯.

He added: ¡°Tenders for procuring e-vehicles have already been issued and we have started procuring the vehicles. This is going to increase.¡±

He also assured the battery manufacturers present that the government would take all possible measures to incentivise battery manufacturing in India. Meanwhile, in terms of the raw materials necessary for battery manufacturing, he said the government had already started discussions with resource rich countries such as Bolivia.

However, the industry representatives raised concerns over the high GST tax rates on batteries and asked for preference to be given to Indian made batteries in government procurement in order to promote domestic manufacturing.

The industry also said it was necessary to create Indian standards for batteries and to set up field testing facilities for both stationary and mobile sectors. India has previously detailed quality standards for solar products that also covered storage. The industry also said that a favourable economic environment was key to progressing battery cell manufacturing, while it was also important to create an enabling environment for battery recycling in India.

PV Tech's sister site Energy-Storage.News has previously reported that the latest Indian national Budget saw a hike in customs duties for lithium-ion batteries from 10% to 20%, which is unhelpful to India's overall energy storage industry unless there is enough domestic manufacturing to meet demand.

Singh has asked the Department of Space and ISRO to share relevant technologies with the Industry to help progress the storage sector.

Dr Rahul Walawalkar, president and MD of Customized Energy Solutions and an executive director of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) has said previously that 2017 was the year when Indian industries started investing in setting up manufacturing capabilities for developing li-ion battery packs in India with IESA members such as Exicom, Delta and ACME leading the way.

He has also said: "By mid-2018, India will have over 1GWh of li-ion battery pack manufacturing capacity. We also anticipate that in 2018 at least two li-ion cell manufacturing plants with capacity of 1GWh or more will start construction in India with anticipated completion for early 2020, bringing India on the global map of ¡®Gigafactories¡¯."

¡ö NHPC completes 50MW solar project in Tamil Nadu

(Mar 26,2018/pv-tech.org)

Indian state-run power firm National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has completed a 50MW solar PV project in the state of Tamil Nadu, according to a Bombay Stock Exchange filing.

The project is located in Theni, Dindigul District, while Larsen & Toubro, also known as L&T Construction, was the EPC and O&M contractor.

Last last year, NHPC said it planned to build another 150MW of solar projects in partnership with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

German solar and storage firm IBC Solar recently helped a tea producer in Tamil Nadu go 100% solar with a 3MW open access project.

¡ö Azure Power adds 130MW of solar project wins to portfolio

(Mar 26,2018/pv-tech.org)

India-based solar independent power producer Azure Power has secured new project wins with Indian Railways and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development totalling 130MW.

Azure Power said the new wins include a 100MW utility scale project at the Pavagada solar park in Karnataka and 30MW of solar rooftop project with Indian Railways.

The IPP noted that it would supply power to the electricity supply companies of Karnataka (ESCOMs) for 25 years at a tariff of INR 2.93 (~US$ 4.6 cents) per kWh.
Azure Power also qualifies for a capital incentive from Indian Railways and the power will be sold at a weighted average levelized tariff of INR 4.74 (~US$ 7.5 cents) per kWh.

Inderpreet Wadhwa, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Azure Power said, ¡°With these wins, we have once again demonstrated our strong project development capabilities and are delighted to make this contribution towards realization of our Hon¡¯ble Prime Minister¡¯s commitment towards clean and green energy, through solar power generation.¡±

The company said its portfolio in Karnataka had now reached around 250MW, which was one of the largest portfolios in the state as well as a portfolio with Indian Railways that has reached around 76MW.

¡ö ADB providing US$260 million loan to upgrade Pakistan¡¯s transmission network

(Mar 23,2018/pv-tech.org)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a US$260 million loan to the Government of Pakistan to improve the country¡¯s power transmission network and help offtake of power from new and renewable energy power projects.

As reported by PV Tech, Pakistan is just a PPA-signing away from utility-scale solar breaching grid parity, while the province of Sindh is due to start tariff-based competitive solar auctions this year.

Werner Liepach, ADB Director General for Central and West Asia, said: ¡°A reliable and strong transmission network is essential to ensure uninterrupted supply of power for the industry and to propel economic growth. ADB remains committed to work with the Government of Pakistan to develop a larger, stronger, smarter, and climate resilient power transmission network.¡±

The agreement is part of the Second Power Transmission Enhancement Investment Program aimed at improving coverage, reliability, transparency, and quality of the power transmission service in Pakistan by expanding the 220-kV transmission network in Sindh and Balochistan provinces and upgrading the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and revenue metering systems (RMS) in the country.

Upgrading the SCADA and RMS across the national grid will enable real time monitoring and control of the grid, preventing losses, reducing power outages, and increasing grid stability and capacity. It will also feed computerized metering data complying with the grid code into the system for settlement of the market operator, the Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA), to streamline revenue collection, billing and payment processes, as well as create the foundation for an energy trading platform.

¡ö JinkoSolar continues with wafer, cell and module capacity expansions in 2018

(Mar 22,2018/pv-tech.org)

Leading ¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar is planning further capacity expansions across wafer, cell and module assembly in 2018, including a module assembly plant in the US, after strong capital expenditures in 2017 that totalled US$480 million.

The SMSL reported that in-house wafer capacity went from 5GW in 2016 to 8GW in 2017, a 3GW increase, year-on-year.

Solar cell capacity increased by 1GW in 2017, reaching 5GW. Module assembly capacity increased from 6.5GW in 2016 to 8GW in 2017, a 1.5GW increase, year-on-year.

In 2018, JinkoSolar has set plans to add 1GW of in-house wafer capacity in the first quarter, bringing total nameplate capacity to 9GW. By the end of the year a further 500MW expansion of wafer capacity is expected.

The SMSL is also adding a further 1GW of solar cell capacity through the year, bringing in-house nameplate capacity to 6GW by year-end.

In-house module assembly capacity is being expanded by a further 1.5GW in 2018. This includes a 500MW increase in the first quarter of 2018 and therefore a further 1GW by year-end. Total module capacity is therefore expected to reach 10GW in 2018.

The difference between 2017 and 2018 expansions, apart from a slowdown in wafer capacity expansion plans, is the establishment of a module assembly plant in Florida, US.

Although capacity details of the US plant remain undisclosed, JinkoSolar has reported that in its recent stock offering that was expected to net the company US$71.1 million, would be used for the new assembly plant as well as for other capital expenditure requirements for the capacity expansion and upgrade of other facilities.

Capital expenditures in 2017 totalled US$480 million, up from US$277 million in 2016. However, given the slowdown in wafer capacity expansions, capex for 2018 may prove to be lower than in 2017.

¡ö JinkoSolar sets module shipments guidance as high as 12GW for 2018

(Mar 22,2018/pv-tech.org)

Leading ¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member JinkoSolar has guided module shipments to be in the range of 11.5GW to 12GW for 2018, after reporting record 2017 shipments of 9.8GW.

The SMSL reported total solar module shipments in 2017 of 9,807MW, an increase of 47.3% from 6,656MW in 2016.

Module shipments actually peaked in the second quarter of 2017, when China accounted for 51% of the 2,884MW total.

Total solar module shipments in the fourth quarter of 2017 were 2,481 MW, an increase of 4.5% from 2,374MW in the third quarter of 2017.

The SMSL also guided module shipments in the first quarter of 2018 to be in the range of 1.8GW to 2 GW, compared with 2,068MW shipped in the first quarter of 2017.

With module shipments guided to be in the range of 11.5GW to 12GW for 2018, JinkoSolar expects emerging markets to be behind the continued growth, when rival SMSL, Canadian Solar recently guided almost flat shipment growth for 2018.

Kangping Chen, JinkoSolar's Chief Executive Officer said, ¡°Emerging markets are gradually becoming our biggest growth driver, with demand from Latin America and Australia generating substantial growth momentum and the Middle East and African markets expected to rise in the coming year. We will continue to allocate more resources towards these high-growth markets in order to further solidify the long-term sustainable development of JinkoSolar."

¡ö Indian tea plantation goes 100% solar with 3MW open access project

(Mar 22,2018/pv-tech.org)

German solar and storage firm IBC Solar has completed a 3MW open access solar project for a tea producer in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Indian company LNB Renewable Energy was in charge of the entire project development, the approvals and the connection to the grid, while IBC Solar was responsible for the EPC, including the turnkey construction.

IBC has previously focused on northern India and this ¨C its seventh large-scale project in the region ¨C is its first in the south. In a release, the firm said that instead of having to get used to immense heat and sandy soils, the installation team had to deal with an extended Monsoon season.

The solar park was built near the city of Madurai for The Peria Karamalai Tea & Produce. The NSE listed company is part of LN Bangur Group, which has already collaborated with IBC Solar previously on numerous major solar projects.

Shreeyash Bangur, managing Director of LN Bangur Group, stated: ¡°This project is of paramount importance to us, as we have replaced our 20-year-old wind power plant. Our tea will now be produced with 100% solar power.¡±

The project is part of India¡¯s open access policy, which offers private investors an incentive to invest in the power generation sector. The Electricity Act of 2003 stipulates that any company or individual who has built a power generation plant has the right of free access to the power lines in order to transport the electricity from the plant to the point of use.

¡ö Brookfield and GLP aim for solar rooftops in China

(Mar 21,2018/pv-tech.org)

Brookfield Asset Management and major logistics provider GLP have formed a 50:50 joint venture to develop and operate distributed rooftop solar PV on logistics and commercial rooftops in China.

The JV is targeting 300MW in three years, with a broader 1GW development pipeline, using a third-party ownership model.

GLP already has approximately 33 million square meters of logistics facilities in China. It clams that it is also already one of the largest solar power providers from rooftop panels on logistics facilities in Japan.

Ming Mei, co-founder and CEO of GLP, said: ¡°This new partnership with Brookfield will allow us to leverage each other¡¯s strengths to further capitalize on GLP¡¯s high-quality assets. Investing in infrastructure beyond GLP¡¯s logistics platform is part of our strategy to develop an ecosystem that harnesses technology to deliver better outcomes for our customers and communities.¡±

Stewart Upson, CEO of Brookfield Asset Management Asia Pacific, said: ¡°We look forward to working closely with GLP and leveraging our experienced local operating team and significant renewables development expertise to establish a leading rooftop solar platform in China.¡±

Brookfield has a 16GW portfolio of hydroelectric, wind, solar and storage facilities worldwide.

Last month, Asia Clean Capital (ACC) and EDF Energies Nouvelles also announced the establishment of a joint venture to build and operate a portfolio of distributed rooftop solar projects in China.

¡ö Thai state utility and University of Hawaii to study grid integration of renewables

(Mar 21,2018/pv-tech.org)

State-run utility Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, University of Hawaii, to measure and study the ability of Thailand's grid to integrate renewable energy.

The MOU is applicable for a two-year period and will cover education, training, workshops, and exchange programs such as study tours or site visits. It will also cover energy policy, rules and regulations, the energy market, plans for power system control, information sharing among renewable energy experts on solar, wind, biomass or biofuel, energy conservation, and reviewing existing power infrastructure.

Thailand has already tried an innovative tender requiring 'firm' energy, via a 300MW hybrid PPA scheme, which encourages use of energy storage to supplement renewable energy generation. Large-scale solar opportunities remain part of a complex co-operative scheme at present.

Patana Sangsriroujana, EGAT¡¯s deputy governor, Policy and Planning, said that EGAT, under the Ministry of Energy, is responsible for making sure the country¡¯s electricity generation and transmission systems are secure and reliable. He added that Thailand is trending towards the use of renewable energy and has attracted multiple IPPs.

He said: ¡°Therefore, EGAT, as an agency which oversees the country¡¯s power security, must find an appropriate way to deal with the increase of renewable energy share by analysing and evaluating the efficiency of the power system for integrating renewable energy into the system. The collaboration with Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, which is skilled and experienced in renewable energy and linking power systems, is beneficial to Thailand¡¯s power development.¡±

¡ö US rejects EU¡¯s call for less punitive measure on solar imports

(Mar 21,2018/pv-tech.org)

The US has rejected the European Union¡¯s request for an alternative to the US safeguard measure on imports of crystalline silicon solar cells that would be less penalising on imports from the EU, according to a joint communication filed with the WTO on 19 March.

The two parties held consultations on 15 February after the EU submitted a complaint at the WTO calling for the discussions over the 30% import tariffs enacted by the Trump administration.

The filing stated: ¡°In particular, the European Union asserted that EU imports were not causing any serious injury due to their volume and higher prices. Thus, it suggested a form of measure that would be less penalizing for European Union imports such as a quota allocated by country or a minimum import price. The United States did not agree with this.¡±

Moreover, no agreement was reached on compensation for the EU.

However, both parties have agreed to monitor the impact of the measures on trade flows and continue these discussions, and they have also agreed that their reciprocal rights and obligations under the Safeguards Agreement and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 will be maintained.

A total of eight countries or unions have filed complaints at the WTO over the US safeguard measures - the latest to do so being Vietnam - but this is the first case where an outcome of consultations has been announced.

The last Section 201 case regarding steel tariffs imposed by the US was overturned by the WTO in 2003. Furthermore, several Canadian solar manufacturers, Silfab, Heliene, Canadian Solar and Canadian Solar Solutions, also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that they will suffer ¡°immediate, severe, and irreversible injuries¡± as a result of the new safeguard measures.

¡ö JinkoSolar and Asunim complete 40.3MW solar project in Turkey

(Mar 20,2018/pv-tech.org)

Silicon Module Super League Member (SMSL) JinkoSolar and developer and EPC firm Asunim Turkey have completed what they claim to be the largest solar power plant in the Aegean region, spread across two sites.

Of the two sites located Manisa, Turkey, the first has 19.7MW capacity and the other stands at 20.6MW.

The projects use JinkoSolar modules and REFUsol 40K string inverters. German company Solar-Log provided the SCADA system. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) activities will be covered by Maxima Energy, the affiliate but independent O&M company of Asunim.

"Installing a project on a flat terrain is easier when compared to sites with different slopes. In order to get the highest yield several different studies and calculations were made for this challenging project,¡± said Umut G¨¹rb¨¹z, managing partner of Asunim Turkey.

Asunim has so far completed 140MW of projects in Turkey.

¡ö TNB halfway through 50MW Malaysia solar project, signs PPAs for 60MW

(Mar 20,2018/pv-tech.org)

Malaysian utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has completed more than 50% of its 50MW solar PV project in Selangor, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, having started construction in July last year.

According to TNB's vice president, Energy Business, Dato 'Nor Azman Mufti, construction of a 132kV substation and control room is also underway.

"The installation of solar panels of more than 238,000 units is in full swing,¡± he said. "We are confident this project can achieve the targeted commercial operation date targets on November 1, 2018.¡±

The project was developed by TNB subsidiary, TNB Sepang Solar Sdn Bhd (TSS) across 98 hectares in Mukim Tanjung, Selangor. EPC services are being provided by TNB Engineering Corporation Sdn Bhd. A 21-year solar power purchase agreement (PPA) for the project wa signed last March between TNB and TSS.

According to a filing on Bursa Malaysia, TNB has also now signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for a 30MW(AC) project developed by TNB Bukit Selambau Solar located at Kuala Muda, Kedah, which is due to come online on 31 December 2020, and another 29.9MW(AC) project from RE Gebeng located at Kuantan, Pahang, which is due to come online on 3 February 2020.

Both projects were won in the LSS auction held in Q1 last year.

The Energy Commission of Malaysia (EC) awarded roughly 563MWac of capacity in its second LSS auction last December.

¡ö Sunseap and StarHub to offer up to 100% solar energy supply to Singaporeans

(Mar 19,2018/pv-tech.org)

Singapore-based renewable energy firm Sunseap and info-communications and mobile network company StarHub have partnered to offer customers in the region of Jurong, Singapore, the chance to purchase solar power without having to install their own systems.

The two firms have entered Singapore¡¯s Open Electricity Market so that, starting in April, households in Jurong will be able to switch from their existing electricity supplier and use up to 100% solar energy. The initiative starts with a soft launch by the Energy Market Authority in Jurong, with plans to open up to the whole of Singapore in the second half of the year.

StarHub and Sunseap are focusing on trying to make switching supplier as easy as possible for conusmers. They will offer two services named Green Life and Green Save.

Green Life is a 100% clean energy plan where customers will receive electricity fully produced by Sunseap¡¯s solar systems at no additional cost. Electricity will be charged at the usual regulated electricity tariff.

Under the Green Save plan, customers will receive 5% clean energy and enjoy 20% discount off the regulated tariff.

Out of the profits from the business in its first three years, StarHub will give 5% to its StarHub Clean Energy Fund, which will be used to drive environmental conservation initiatives including clean energy and efficiencies.

Howie Lau, chief marketing officer, StarHub, said: ¡°Working together with Sunseap, we are excited to offer households a compelling way to live a lower carbon footprint lifestyle using the Sun¡¯s energy. Leveraging each other¡¯s expertise, we will bundle essential services from mobile, pay TV, broadband and electricity in attractive packages for customers, who are becoming more environmentally-aware. Clean energy has been gaining ground in Singapore and we hope to further energise this green movement with the launch of our StarHub Clean Energy Fund.¡±

Frank Phuan, co-founder and chief executive, Sunseap Group, said: ¡°This will make it easy for both existing and potential StarHub customers to switch to solar energy without any break in their regular electricity service.¡±

¡ö GCL-Poly expanded wafer production by 62% in 2017

(Mar 16,2018/pv-tech.org)

Leading polysilicon and solar wafer producer GCL-Poly Energy Holdings has reported a significant increase in nameplate wafer capacity in 2017, going from 18.5GW in 2016 to 30GW at the end of 2017, a 62.2% rise.

GCL-Poly had previously highlighted in its first half 2017 financial report that annual wafer production capacity has increased to 20GW by 30 June 2017, while production reached 10,599MW, a 22.6% increase from 8,643MW produced in the prior year period.

A further 10GW of wafer capacity was therefore added in the second-half of 2017 and the largest nameplate capacity expansions in the history of the company.
Actual wafer production in 2017 was approximately 23,902MW an increase of 37.9% from 17,327MW produced in 2016.

The company also made a major transition from G7 sized ingot castings to G8 without purchasing new equipment. The company noted that the ingot crystalline structure was had also been optimized through thermal field optimization.

As a result, ingot production costs were reduced and wafer conversion efficiencies were enhanced. The company also migrated to diamond-wire sawing technology and ¡®Black Silicon¡¯ texturing technology, further reducing production costs.

PV Tech has already highlighted the significant investments made in R&D activities in 2017 to improve the quality and lower production costs of its polysilicon and ingot/wafer operations across its production lines.

Polysilicon production and capacity expansions

GCL-Poly produced 74,818MT of polysilicon in 2017, a 7.9% increase over the prior year, while nameplate capacity remained at 70,000MT. The higher production rates than nameplate capacity were due to a number of technical upgrades and productivity enhancements implemented throughout the year.

The company also updated it next phase of major polysilicon expansions, highlighting that construction began on its planned 60,000MT facility in Xinjiang, China, which includes 40,000MT of new-built facilities and 20,000MT of existing Xuzhou facilities to be removed and relocated to the Xinjiang facility.

GCL-Poly said that it expected construction of the first phase of a 20,000MT facility would be completed by the second quarter of 2018 and the second phase of a 20,000MT facility would be completed by the end of 2018.

The relocation of the 20,000MT plant in Xuzhou was scheduled for the end of 2020, should market conditions allow for polysilicon production disruption.

¡ö Suzlon commissions 340MW of solar projects across three Indian states

(Mar 15,2018/pv-tech.org)

India-based renewable energy company Suzlon Group has commissioned 340MW of solar projects across three Indian states.

The projects across Telangana (210MW), Rajasthan (60MW DCR category) and Maharashtra (70MW) were executed on a turnkey basis as part of joint ventures and Special Purpose vehicles (SPVs) with various partners. Suzlon will provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for a period of 25 years.

The Rajasthan project was won through an NTPC auction, while the Maharashtra capacity was auctioned by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

J.P. Chalasani, group CEO, Suzlon Group said: ¡°We have delivered the entire 340MW solar project on turnkey basis. Our focus on solar will continue to be through wind-solar hybrid projects, which will lead to better utilization of grid, due to complementary generation profile. It will also save on duplication of costs such as land and evacuation infrastructure. We have an edge due to our existing large land bank, technologically advanced products and nationwide O&M strength. With the positive change in the Indian renewable energy landscape, we are confident that the volumes will witness significant growth across all sources of clean energy. Suzlon endeavors to bring down the cost of energy and provide clean and affordable energy for all.¡±

Pune-headquartered Suzlon has a cumulative installation capacity of over 17GW of wind energy.

¡ö China Smarter Energy acquires 300MW PV project in China

(Mar 15,2018/pv-tech.org)

PV project operator China Smarter Energy has signed off on a deal to acquire Ningxia Guxin Electricity, a joint venture between Shanghai Guxin Asset Management and Shandong Runfeng Group.

As a result of the deal, China Smarter Energy will also acquire Ningxia Guxin Electricity¡¯s 300MW PV project, which is located in China¡¯s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

The project has an estimated value of US$427 million, which is calculated based on the installation¡¯s production capacity per watt of US$1.43.

China Smarter Energy acquired the project for an estimated US$134 million, and will finance the installation¡¯s operation through both equity and debt financing as well as utilising its own funds.

¡ö Part of Canadian Solar¡¯s Californian PV plant portfolio sold to Korean utility

(Mar 13,2018/pv-tech.org)

¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member Canadian Solar has finally confirmed the sale of part of its PV plant portfolio in California to South Korea¡¯s largest electricity utility, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO).

The SMSL had previously been forced to lower full-year 2017 revenue guidance due to delays in selling a total of 703MWp from six solar power projects in California to two buyers.

According to the SMSL, the sale (235MWac/309 MWp) was KEPCO¡¯s largest investment in the US solar market and partnered with the Corporate Partnership Fund, a Korean private equity fund also known as COPA Fund, to make the acquisition.

¡°These high-quality solar assets are a strategic addition to our renewable energy holdings and will allow us to further diversify our generation portfolio,¡± said Mr. Bong-soo Ha, executive vice president and chief global business officer, KEPCO. ¡°We expect further cooperation with Canadian Solar and are also pleased to be working with an industry-leading developer like Recurrent Energy as we grow our presence in the attractive U.S. solar market.¡±

Recurrent Energy, the developer of Canadian Solar¡¯s US projects and a subsidiary of the company is to continue to provide asset management services to the projects, which were completed in 2016.

The projects sold include the Astoria (100 MWac/131 MWp), Astoria 2 (75 MWac/100 MWp), and Barren Ridge (60 MWac/78 MWp), located in southern California.

¡ö JA Solar gets closer to NASDAQ de-listing

(Mar 12, 2018/pv-tech.org)

¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member JA Solar is getting closer to de-listing from NASDAQ and going private after over 90% of the ordinary shares held had voted to agree a merger with its Cayman Islands registered parent company, owned primarily by JA Solar¡¯s founder, chairman and CEO, Baofang Jin.

The SMSL said that around 56.5% of the company¡¯s total outstanding ordinary shares were presented in person or by proxy at today¡¯s extraordinary general meeting to approve the merger, while over 10% of ordinary shares apposed the merger deal.

Baofang Jin and its ¡®Rollover Shareholders¡¯ within the buyer group are funding the merger acquisition with a loan of US$160 million from CSI Finance Limited part of CITIC Bank China and Credit Suisse, Singapore Branch.

¡ö Engie completes 291MW of solar in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, signs PPA for 338MW in Andhra Pradesh

(Mar 12, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Having officially founded the Internarional Solar Alliance (ISA) over the weekend, French president Emmanuel Macron and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi have now also inaugurated French power giant Engie¡¯s 101MW Mirzapur solar project in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Engie was awarded the PV project, the largest in Uttar Pradesh, in May 2016 at a tariff of INR4.43/kWh (US$0.068/kWh) and it signed a 25-year PPA with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in June 2016.

The company, through subsidiary Solairedirect India, has also started commercial operation of 190MW of PV capacity at Bhadla in Rajasthan, which has a tariff of INR4.35/kWh (US$0.067/kWh), where the project uses dry robotic cleaning solutions from Ecoppia. Meanwhile, The French company also recently won 80MW of wind projects across Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Engie has now also signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Indian utility NTPC for its 338MW Kadapa solar project in Andra Pradesh, with a tariff of INR3.15/kWh (US$0.0485/kWh).

Isabelle Kocher, CEO of Engie, said: ¡°It is an honour to welcome President Macron and Prime minister Modi to Mirzapur, one of our key assets in the country. This plant and the different successes we announce today support our ambition to be a major partner for the development of renewables in India, a fast-growing country for global energy transition businesses. Globally, Engie is committed to invest massively in low-carbon generation, one of the growth engines of the Group.¡±

Engie has a total installed capacity of 810MW of solar and 80MW in wind in India and employs around 1,000 people in power generation, engineering and energy services. ENGIE was also among investors to have pumped US$20 million into Husk Power Systems, a developer of microgrids which is expanding its efforts in India and Tanzania.

¡ö Vikram Solar partners France¡¯s CEA for R&D in PV and energy storage

(Mar 12, 2018/pv-tech.org)

India-based solar manufacturer and EPC player Vikram Solar has signed a collaboration agreement with the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), while at the founding ceremony of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Vikram Solar's partnerhsip with the French public research agency will go towards enhancing R&D on high efficiency crystalline silicon cells, modules and systems as well as energy storage technologies for the French and Indian markets.

CEA will share its expertise and technology in solar, storage, smart grid and thermal efficiency, while Vikram Solar will apply these technologies in large-scale manufacturing. It will also aim to improve battery storage solutions. The partnership will also look into crystallization and wafering, mono and bifacial modules, Agri-photovoltaics, and solar mobility among other segments.

Gyanesh Chaudhary, MD and CEO, Vikram Solar, said: ¡°Vikram Solar has always been at the forefront of innovation through research and development that helps India grow and develop and be a more sustainable nation. Our association with CEA will strengthen our focus on newer technology and in turn increase opportunity for both parties to work towards a more sustainable and efficient ecosystem.¡±

Christophe G¨¦gout, deputy chairman of the CEA, said: ¡°Our association with Vikram Solar comes at a time when the need for renewables is at an all time high in India as well as globally. This is a perfect time for us to leverage our strength in research and development and fuse it with Vikram Solar¡¯s long standing position as a leading global solar module player with key focus on quality, technology and innovation.¡±

Vikram Solar¡¯s annual PV module production capacity stands at 1GW. It recently opened a second office in the US.

CEA is a public research agency involved in defence and security, nuclear and renewable energy, technological research for industry and fundamental research.

A high efficiency heterojunction module manufactured using both organisations¡¯ input was showcased at the Rashtrapati Bhavan during the ISA founding ceremony on 11 March.

¡ö ReNew Power opens micro-grid, inks pact on 2GW of solar across Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh

(Mar 8, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Indian renewable energy developer ReNew Power has inaugurated a 16kW micro-grid in Paniyara village, near Varanasi, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The village was adopted by ReNew Power in 2016, as part of its Corporate Citizenship initiative, known as SVARG (Smart Village Adopted by ReNew Group), and the micro-grid will power around 200 households, two government schools and the local child care centre.

The company aims to provide off-grid power solutions to 100,000 people in underserved rural communities by 2022. Meanwhile, ReNew also installed the highest amount of solar of any developer in India last year, according to Bridge to India's latest quarterly report.

Earlier this month, ReNew Power also signed an memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government of Uttar Pradesh for the development of 1.2GW of renewable energy in the state, including 1GW of solar and 200MW of waste-to-energy projects, at a cost of INR80 billion (US$1.23 billion).

ReNew has also signed an MoU with the government Andhra Pradesh to develop 1GW of solar and 1GW of wind in the state at a cost of INR130 billion (US$2 billion).

¡ö GCL-SI increases sales by 24% in 2017 on strong rebound in fourth quarter

(Mar 6, 2018/pv-tech.org)

¡®Silicon Module Super League¡¯ (SMSL) member GCL System Integrated Technology (GCL-SI) has reported preliminary unaudited ¡®express¡¯ 2017 financial results, highlighting revenue growth to record levels in the fourth quarter and the return to profitability.

GCL-SI reported full-year 2017 revenue of approximately RMB 14.49 billion (US$2.3 billion), an increase of 24.03% from 2016.

The company had posted record second quarter revenue of around US$608 million, leading to a return to profitability in first half of the year, due to PV module ASP stability and concerted manufacturing cost cutting, including increasing cell conversion efficiencies.

The company had also benefited from the continued strong growth in PV installations in China, which in the first half 2017 reached 24.4GW and over 53GW for the full-year.

However, third quarter sales declined around 25% from the second quarter of 2017, indicating softening demand for utility-scale projects in China after FiT regressions mid-year.

The full-year results indicate that fourth quarter sales increased around 103% from the previous quarter.

GCL-SI noted in the express financial report that the overall sales increase was primarily due to the strong ramp of high-efficiency solar cells used in its modules and the subsequent strong demand for the products.

The company also reported a small preliminary gross profit for 2017 of approximately RMB156.9 million (US$24.7 million), which was due to the higher shipments overseas and cost reduction strategies such as a reduction in capital expenditures and lower production costs supported by higher cell and module conversion efficiencies.

¡ö Indian solar faces slowdown after record 9,255MW deployment in 2017 ¨C Bridge to India

(Mar 6, 2018/pv-tech.org)

India deployed a record 9,255MW of solar in 2017, up 94% from the previous year, but uncertainty and a slowdown looms in 2018, according to the latest quarterly report from consultancy firm Bridge to India.

The ¡®India Solar Compass Q4¡¯, estimated just 6GW of total solar additions over the course of 2018, at just two-thirds of 2017¡¯s installation figures. To kick off 2018, Bridge to India expects utility-scale PV additions of 3,019MW in Q1 and 1,520MW in Q2.

The Compass, covering Q4 2017, reported a quarter that was well below expectations, with just 1,503MW of utility-scale PV commissioned, despite 5,100MW being scheduled for completion in this period. Indeed, part of the expected uptick in Q1 this year is likely to come from projects slipping through from Q4 2017. The slow Q4 was attributed to challenges in land acquisition and transmission connectivity in various SECI tenders, as well as Karnataka and Telangana state tenders. Meanwhile, module prices also grew 6% over the quarter. Indeed, Bridge to India noted that project execution costs have risen sharply by about 18% in only a six-month period.

The Q4 tally brought the country¡¯s total installed solar capacity to 19,516MW by the end of last year. Of this total capacity, 17,415MW was in large-scale, with 2,101MW in rooftop solar. Once again, four southern states alongside the northern state of Rajasthan led the pack with a 94% increase over 2016.

According to the report, the highest capacity additions in Q4 2017 came from:

ReNew Power - 300MW
Adani - 250MW
Tata Power - 180MW
The highest capacity additions over the whole of 2017 came from:

ReNew - 826MW
Greenko ¨C 710MW
NTPC ¨C 510MW
Inverter supply in Q4 was led by:

Sungrow ¨C 27%
TMEIC ¨C 20%
Huawei ¨C 16%
Module supply in Q4 was led by Canadian Solar, First Solar and JA Solar, who together had more than a 50% market share. For India¡¯s domestic manufacturers, Mundra Solar (190MW) and Vikram Solar (145MW) remained the largest manufacturers by production in the quarter.

New tenders of 2,650MW were issued in Q4, with Maharashtra and Karnataka leading. However, reports have emerged that both these states have seen tenders held up by a lack of interest, which stemmed from the uncertainty over the anti-dumping investigations and a lack of provisions to protect the developer in case of any change in law. Similarly, 718MW of EPC tenders with a DCR component were cancelled in the quarter, following the escalating spat between the US and India at the WTO over India¡¯s local content policy.

Rooftop solar saw an encouraging growth of more than 100% in new tenders, aggregating to more than 220MW over Q4. Bridge to India expects around 190MW of rooftop PV to be added in Q1 2018 and 200MW in Q2 2018.

Vinay Rustagi, managing director, Bridge to India, said: ¡°The solar sector has been under pressure for some time due to a variety of factors ¨C weak demand, increases in module prices, GST and threat of safeguard and/or anti-dumping duties. The impending decision on safeguard duty remains the overriding concern. But hopefully, the pick-up in tender issuance should provide some relief to developers and the overall supply chain.¡±

In recent blogs, Bridge to India has said it expects a decision of safeguard duties concering solar imports to be imminent, but has also said that it believes trade protection for domestic manufacturers to be misguided.

India also crossed the 20GW deployment mark earlier this year.

¡ö B.Grimm signs PPAs for 30MW of solar projects in Thailand

(Mar 6, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Thai energy firm B.Grimm Power has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for seven separate solar PV projects in Thailand with a combined capacity of 30.83MW, according to notification on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).

These projects include five plants (23.58MW) co-developed with the War Veterans Organization of Thailand (WVO) and two projects (7.25MW) co-developed with agricultural co-operatives. The two co-op projects are based in China Daen and Ban Na Doem.

Apart from a hybrid 'firm' PPA scheme, large-scale solar ambitions in Thailand have been largely constricted to its complex co-operative scheme.

The deadline for B.Grimm to enter the PPAs was 2 March and it managed to sign the PPAs with Metropolitan Electricity Authority and Provincial Electricity Authority at the end of February.

Last month, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it would provide a loan of US$235 million to B. Grimm Power to develop renewable energy projects in Southeast Asia.

¡ö JGC to build 49MW solar project in Vietnam for TTC Group

(Mar 6, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Gia Lai Electricity Joint Stock Company (GEC), a subsidiary of conglomerate TTC Group, has contracted JGC Vietnam, a subsidiary of JGC Corporation, to build a 49MW(AC) solar PV project in Vietnam.

Yokohama-headquartered engineering firm JGC will perform EPC services for the plant, which will be spread across 75 hectares in Krong Pa District of Gia Lai Province in mid-south Vietnam. The project is expected to be complete by autumn this year and will power the equivalent of 47,000 Vietnamese households.

The project will benefit from Vietnam¡¯s feed-in tariff (FiT) policy.

Last month, GEC also contracted another Japanese multinational, Sharp Corporation, to build a similar size plant in Thua Thien Hue Province in the North Central Coast region of Vietnam.

At the end of 2017, the chairman of Ho Chi Minh City-based TTC Group confirmed that TTC would start building 150MW of PV projects in the first half of 2018.

JGC Vietnam was established in 2009. JGC Corporation has already been involved in construction projects for two large-scale oil refineries in Vietnam.

In a release, JGS stated: ¡°There are many plans for constructing mega-solar power generation plants in Southeast Asia. With the foothold gained through this contract, JGC intends to increase involvement in renewable energy with proactive initiatives to receive orders for such projects under collaboration with overseas entities.¡±

¡ö Solargiga expanding monocrystalline module capacity by 1GW

(Mar 5, 2018/pv-tech.org)

China-based integrated monocrystalline PV manufacturer Solargiga Energy Holdings said it would expand module assembly capacity by 1GW at its existing manufacturing facilities at a cost of RMB160 million (US$25.2 million).

Solargiga said that the expansion would be completed and commence volume production late in the second quarter of 2018.

In May, 2017 Solargiga acquired a 63% stake in struggling multicrystalline wafer manufacturer Chuanghui New Energy, formerly known as Jinzhou Aoke New Energy Co and converted the facilities to produce PV modules instead.

Solargiga has been expanding monocrystalline silicon ingot and wafer capacity to 1.8GW, which is expected to be ramped in the second half of 2018. The company is expected to have 2.2GW of nameplate module capacity after the 1GW expansion. In-house mono cell capacity stands at 400MW and is expected to be expanded modestly in 2018.

¡ö Vietnam demands compensation over US solar tariffs - WTO

(Mar 5, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Vietnam has filed a complaint with World Trade Organisation (WTO) requesting consultations with the US over its 30% solar import tariffs and discussions over compensation, according to a WTO filing dated 2 March.

The Southeast Asian country joins a bulging list of nations filing complaints at the WTO over the PV tariffs. Malaysia and the Philippines were the next most recent to do so. They were preceded by Singapore, the EU, Taiwan, South Korea and China.

Vietnam, South Korea and China all explicitly mentioned a demand for compensation in their WTO filings, although a US-based lawyer has told PV Tech that demand for compensation is implicit in all the WTO filings so far and all the countries have reserved the right to raise additional issues and take further legal action.

Vietnam has also filed a similar complaint regarding the US import tariffs on washing machines that were announced simultaneously to the solar trade measures, that came about due to a Section 201 petition.

The last Section 201 case regarding steel tariffs imposed by the US was overturned by the WTO in 2003.

Last month, several Canadian solar manufacturers, Silfab, Heliene, Canadian Solar and Canadian Solar Solutions, also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming that they will suffer ¡°immediate, severe, and irreversible injuries¡± as a result of the new safeguard measures.

¡ö Indian PV manufacturers to refresh anti-dumping petition to avoid being ¡®short-changed¡¯

(Mar 5, 2018/pv-tech.org)

The Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA) has withdrawn its anti-dumping petition regarding PV imports from China, Taiwan and Malaysia, but intends to soon file a fresh petition to strengthen its case.

The ISMA¡¯s original petition covered a period of investigation up to June 2017, but it now wants to ¡°contemporize¡± the investigation to show what it claimed to be a period of even greater injury to domestic manufacturers. The association claimed that exports from the three subject countries between July and December 2017 ¨C a period to be covered by the new petition ¨C had increased by up to 45%, while module prices had decreased by around 25%, showing accelerated dumping in India.

H.R. Gupta, general secretary of ISMA and managing director of Indian cell manufacturer Indosolar, told PV Tech that putting in a new petition is likely to delay the whole process by another quarter. However, anti-dumping duty tenures tend to last for five years, so the ISMA was happy to interrupt current proceedings in order to make the strongest possible case for higher duties.

Gupta added: ¡°It¡¯s a five-year remedy so we don't want to be short-changed.

¡°We want to use the most relevant data so that the injury is reflected as on the most current timeline [sic] because so much time has passed already.¡±

Indian manufacturers are simultaneously in the process of seeking immediate relief via safeguard duties. The Directorate General has already recommended a 70% duty, which many in the industry felt would be high enough to derail the National Solar Mission target of 100GW by 2022. Subsequently, this recommendation was challenged in the Chennai High court. An oral hearing has taken place and final written submissions have to be made by 9 March.

Sunil Jain, chief executive and executive director of Delhi-headquartered renewable energy developer Hero Future Energies told PV Tech that a 70% tariff could make tariffs go up by 1.5 rupees per unit, at a time when the government wants cheap power.

Jain added: ¡°We believe that is not the right step for the market in [the] present scenario, especially considering that government is a signatory of COP21.

¡°Having said that the government is duty bound to represent the domestic industry and so there are two ways of protecting it. One is through anti-dumping measures, and the other is to incentivise the local industry through some investment incentives or cash incentives.¡±

Jain said that some form of incentive for domestic manufacturers could negate the need for anti-dumping duties and allow PV tariffs to remain below three rupees. Continued low prices are important as India is going a power surplus situation and states are less willing to buy expensive power, he added.

The ISMA ended its release stating: ¡°We are hopeful that the Domestic Industry will get the, much needed, relief which it has sought from the Hon Authority as soon as possible to revive the industry, in order to support the Make In India vision of the honourable PM and make India self-sufficient in manufacturing of Solar equipment.¡±

¡ö Sungrow surpasses rival SMA Solar in revenue generation for the first time in 2017

(Mar 1, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Major China-based PV inverter manufacturer Sungrow Power Supply Co has reported preliminary unaudited revenue for 2017, which surpasses European rival, SMA Solar Technology¡¯s revenue figures for the first time.

For several years, Sungrow and Huawei had outstripped once leading PV Inverter supplier SMA Solar on a gigawatt shipment level but as in the case of Sungrow had not exceeded its European rivals annual revenue figures.

In reporting preliminary unaudited ¡®express¡¯ financial results for 2017, Sungrow reported revenue reached over RMB 8.8 billion (US$1.4 billion approx..), a 47.57% increase from 2016.

SMA Solar reported preliminary 2017 full-year revenue of €890 million (US$1.08 billion approx.)

Not surprisingly, Sungrow cited its hike in revenue generation was due to the record growth in PV installations in China, which hit a record 53GW in 2017. However, Sungrow also cited overseas market expansion that supported the 47.57% increase in revenue over the previous year.

Sungrow also reported net profit growth 76.73% higher than in 2016. Preliminary net profit was reported to be around RMB 1.18 billion (US$186.7 million approx.).

¡ö Sungrow surpasses rival SMA Solar in revenue generation for the first time in 2017

(Mar 1, 2018/pv-tech.org)

The WTO's Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) has granted India¡¯s request for the establishment of a panel to determine whether India complied with the previous ruling against its Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) for solar cells and modules.

The agreement came after India put in a second request for the establishment of a compliance panel since its first request was blocked by the US at a DSB meeting on 9 February, according to a Geneva trade official.

The compliance panel now has 90 days to issue its compliance ruling, but this ruling can take longer if specific reasons are given to the DSB and a new deadline date is set. The European Union, Singapore, Korea, China, Canada, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Norway and Russia reserve their third party rights to participate in the panel proceedings.

India reiterated its belief that it has complied with the original ruling, however, Washington once again declared that India has continued to act in a way that is non-compliant with the WTO.

The US has also reserved its right to move forward with separate proceedings to request for WTO authorization to impose trade sanctions on India for its alleged non-compliance with the earlier panel ruling, said the official.

India objected to the US¡¯ original request to enact countermeasures back in January, which automatically triggers WTO arbitration proceedings on the appropriate level of sanctions. Normally, this proceeding should have finished within 60 days of the deadline for India to comply with the ruling, which was on 14 December 2017.

The US has also said that it is still willing to work with India to find a bilateral resolution to the dispute without the need for further dispute proceedings, said the official.

¡ö 1st phase of world¡¯s largest solar park to be inaugurated today in Karnataka, India

(Mar 1, 2018/pv-tech.org)

The first 600MW phase of the world¡¯s largest solar park, standing at 2GW(AC) capacity at the Pavagada Solar Park in the Indian state of Karnataka, will be inaugurated today.

Karnataka¡¯s energy minister DK Shivakumar said on Twitter that the project had been conceptualised, planned and built in three years. The remaining capacity of the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The INR165 billion (US$2.53 billion) mega park, now named 'Shakti Sthala', involved a unique lease programme that had not been seen in India before, where the government took on a long-term lease from the farmers that owned the land. As part of the project, 2,300 farmers are now eligible to INR21,000 (US$322) rental per acre, according to a government video. There is also a 5% upward revision in this rent every two years.

Mudit Jain, consultant at Bridge to India, told PV Tech that in some states where land is leased out directly from farmers to the project developers, there is an ¡°inherent fear¡± that if the farmer cancels the lease a few years later then that plant is in jeopardy.

Jain added: ¡°A unique thing and brilliant thing that has been tried in this park is that the government has taken the lease from the farmers - a very strong lease which can't be broken by the farmer - and then this land is then leased back to the developers.

¡°In that scenario the farmer will still possess the land after the plant life and the total cost is also fragmented over the years rather than being charged everything up front.¡±

The project has not been without hiccups and delays. For example, early last year, Indian utility NTPC had to retender 250MW at the park after infrastructural issues dampened the interest of developers to participate.

However, in the grand scheme of things, Jain said that only a very few months have been lost and delays around transmission and synchronisation are common, so the project has been carried out very successfully.

The vast park also spans 5,261 hectares across an area which the government said had faced several decades of drought and crop failures and had seen thousands of farmers migrating each year with lower rainfall and power shortages.

Last month, Shivakumar said: ¡°Projects like our 2,000MW Pavagada Solar Power Park, the largest in the world ¨C will change the landscape of power generation, putting Karnataka at the cutting edge of sustainable energy.¡±

The solar park infrastructure was developed by Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Limited (KSPDCL), a joint venture between Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL). The 2GW(AC) of capacity has been separated into eight sections of 250MW.

NTPC was in charge of the majority of tendering, with SECI and KREDL carrying out the remainder.

Below is the video posted by Shivakumar today:

In our quest for #NavaKarnatakaNirmana, the World's Largest Solar Park of 2000MW capacity will be inaugurated at Pavagada today

This mega project was conceptualized, planned & built in just 3 yrs & is testament of our commitment towards development#WorldLargestSolarParkbyINC pic.twitter.com/FbR0cLvYqw ¡ª DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) March 1, 2018

Article updated to note that only the first 600MW phase of the park has been completed and inaugurated.

¡ö Microsoft¡¯s Singapore data centres to be powered by 60MW Sunseap rooftop solar portfolio

(Mar 1, 2018/pv-tech.org)

Microsoft has made its first clean energy deal in Asia by contracting Singapore-based clean energy firm Sunseap to set up the largest rooftop solar portfolio in Singapore to power the technology firm¡¯s data centres.

The 60MW portfolio will cover hundreds of rooftops in the country and Microsoft will purchase all the energy produced over a period of 20 years.

Microsoft has been active in Singapore since 1990 and its data centres there now provide its various cloud-based services including Microsoft Azure, Office 365 and others. The firm has made two previous international clean energy announcements with wind deals announced in Ireland and The Netherlands last year.

Various specialists in commercial and industrial (C&I) solar have previously said that they expect one third of renewable energy PPAs in Southeast Asia to be corporate in the next three-to-five years.

Microsoft is now track to exceed its goal of powering 50% of its global data centre load with renewable energy this year, said Christian Belady, general manager, Cloud Infrastructure Strategy and Architecture, Microsoft.

Lawrence Wu, co-founder and president of Sunseap, said: ¡°We see exciting potential in our partnership with Microsoft to raise awareness within the tech industry of the importance of adopting renewable energy solutions. Their investment in Singapore solar indicates a growing momentum for clean energy in the country and will further the positive ripple effect for organizations in Singapore to incorporate sustainability practices in their businesses.¡±

Kevin Wo, managing director, Microsoft Singapore, said: ¡°Our cloud services are helping to power Singapore¡¯s digital transformation, and today¡¯s agreement will ensure that transformation is increasingly powered by clean energy.¡±

Gian Yi-Hsen, executive director, Cleantech, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), said: ¡°We are seeing a distinctive trend of local and foreign companies using up to 100% renewable energy to power their business operations, and Singapore is positioning itself to serve that need.¡±

Earlier this year, Sunseap announced it would partner InfraCo Asia for a 168MW solar project in Vietnam, and signed a 21-year PPA for 4MW of solar capacity to power Global port group PSA Corporation's facilities in Singapore.