• August 08, 2024

Array Technologies, a utility scale solar tracker supplier, has launched Skylink, a photovoltaic powered wireless tracker system based on the functionality of the company's DuraTrack and OmniTrack tracker series. Array Technologies has launched Skylink, a photovoltaic powered wireless operating system for its solar tracker series. The Array DuraTrack and OmniTrack that support Skylink have many new features, including an eight row linkage architecture with passive wind resistance, brushless DC motors powered by photovoltaic series, Zigbee wireless communication, and a set of SmarTrack functions. Array Technologies CEO Kevin G. Hostetler said, "Array is committed to continuously improving our products, supporting customers by reducing costs and installation time, and addressing the increasingly severe challenges of extreme weather conditions. As destructive storms become more frequent, our new Skylink tracking system ensures uninterrupted solar production during grid outages and adverse weather conditions with its reliable wireless communication. This advanced system provides the protection needed to sustain solar production, especially in areas prone to snow and hail, ultimately supporting the wider adoption of sustainable energy solutions Regardless of the status of the power grid, photovoltaics will provide power to the solar tracker's mobile control system to ensure that the tracker retracts when it detects hail or snow in SmarTrack's automatic snow response and hail alert response, without relying on batteries operating in low temperature and extreme weather conditions. This is combined with Array's patented passive wind retraction technology. DC motors and wireless communication can reduce trenching, wiring, and power supply. Skylink can be installed using commonly used tools. The system aims to use SmarTrack backtracking to minimize inter row occlusion and achieve better yields for sites with hills or valleys. Skylink adopts an eight row linking architecture, making the layout of dispersed sites easier.

• August 07, 2024

SunPower has also signed an Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) with residential solar company Complete Solaria. Image: SunPower. SunPower, a US residential solar energy supplier, has submitted a voluntary relief application under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. At the same time, the company signed an Asset Purchase Agreement (APA) with Complete Solaria, a residential solar company formed by the merger of Solaria Corporation and Complete Solar, as a "substitute buyer" for SunPower's Blue Raven Solar business, New Homes business, and non installation dealer network related assets. This type of buyer is nominated by the company applying for bankruptcy and is responsible for conducting preliminary bidding on its assets, setting a benchmark for bidding by other potential buyers. Approved by the court, these assets will be sold for $45 million in cash in mid to late September. SunPower plans to continue selling its remaining assets and complete all resulting sales transactions in accordance with Section 363 of the US Bankruptcy Code. Less than a month ago, investment bank Roth Capital released a letter from SunPower (obtained from industry insiders) stating that the company has ceased multiple businesses, including new shipments and financing options. Tom Werner, Executive Chairman of SunPower, said, "Given the challenges SunPower faces, the proposed transaction provides an important opportunity for a key part of our business to continue our legacy under new ownership. We are working hard to find long-term solutions for the remaining areas of our business, while continuing to focus on supporting our valuable employees, customers, distributors, builders, and partners Challenges faced by SunPower before applying for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Since last year, this residential solar energy supplier has been working hard to maintain operations until it violated a credit agreement in December of last year. At the time, SunPower stated that it was unable to borrow from the remaining $53.7 million revolving commitment due to filing for bankruptcy, but it had obtained a temporary waiver valid until January 19, 2024. However, the company has previously been sued for alleged inaccurate reporting of revenue, cost, and inventory indicators. As a result, SunPower reiterated its previously released financial statements for the fiscal year 2022 and the first two quarters of 2023. At the end of fiscal year 2023, the company incurred a net loss of $247 million.

• August 05, 2024

China's distributed generation (DG) solar cell arrays have developed to a level comparable to that of utility scale sites. According to data from the National Energy Administration (NEA), of the 216.3 gigawatts of new solar power capacity added in China in 2023, approximately 96.3 gigawatts will be for commercial and industrial (C&I), residential, and other small and medium-sized systems. The 23.8 gigawatts of distributed systems installed in the first quarter of 2024 exceeded the capacity of 21.9 gigawatts of ground installation projects. The solar power generation capacity of public utilities is leading, followed closely by industrial and commercial systems. In recent years, residential photovoltaic power generation has been continuously increasing. In 2012, after trade disputes with the United States and Europe hit Chinese solar exporters, China launched the "Golden Sun Plan" and "Leader Plan", which promoted an increase in solar power generation. In 2014, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China introduced regulatory and subsidy policies for distributed photovoltaics, attracting numerous investors. Small solar projects have even withstood the impact of Beijing's "5/31" subsidy reduction policy launched at the end of May 2018, relying on their inherent advantages over utility level solar projects.

• August 01, 2024

The June monthly bulletin released by the Chilean Energy Association (Generadoras Chile) shows that the total installed capacity of Chile's National Electric System (SEN) is 33580 MW, of which 22121 MW is renewable energy. Currently, there are 8292 MW of power projects under construction, of which 99% are renewable energy projects. Among these renewable energy projects, 47.8% are photovoltaic projects (3962 MW), 22.7% are wind energy projects (1882 MW), and 18.5% (1530 MW) are battery energy storage systems (BESS). Meanwhile, in terms of environmental assessment, 1069 MW projects have entered the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA), of which 61% are photovoltaic projects. The 1361 MW project plan has been approved, with a related investment amount of 1.26 billion US dollars. In addition, 67% of the electricity produced in June came from renewable energy sources, with renewable energy accounting for over 50% on 29 out of 30 days of the month. Water potential ranks first in renewable energy generation, accounting for 35% of monthly electricity generation, followed by solar energy, accounting for 15% of monthly electricity generation. At noon on June 1st, the instantaneous share of solar energy reached 53%. The main regions for renewable energy generation are Antofagasta (47%), Atacama (31%), and Tarapaca (5%).

• July 29, 2024

On July 24th, the German Federal Cabinet approved a draft law to implement the EU Renewable Energy Directive. The draft law was jointly drafted by the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Economy, which includes planning and approval regulations for onshore wind and photovoltaic power generation. Accelerating regional development and shortening approval time are aimed at promoting faster expansion of renewable energy. The Ministry of Economic Affairs stated that these regulations also apply to energy storage systems built in the same location. The core content of the proposed law is to designate so-called acceleration zones for onshore wind turbines and photovoltaic systems including related energy storage, which are regulated by the Building Code and Spatial Planning Act. The department stated that projects within these areas can subsequently obtain approval through simplified and accelerated procedures in accordance with the new regulations of the Wind Energy Area Requirements Law. In addition, the acceleration measures for all projects specified in the directive (including projects outside the acceleration zone) will be implemented by amending the Federal Emission Control Act. The revised Renewable Energy Directive last year was based on the EU's goal of increasing the proportion of renewable energy in the final energy consumption of the EU to at least 42.5%. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to significantly accelerate the approval process. The implementation of accelerated regions is a real driving force for increasing onshore wind energy. Moreover, based on the expansion data of wind energy, this is also urgently needed, "said the head of communication and policy at Green Planet Energy. Compared to previous drafts, the federal government is integrating energy storage systems not only with solar energy but also with wind energy systems, which is a positive aspect. This will further accelerate the expansion of energy storage systems, help integrate renewable energy markets, reduce periods of negative electricity prices, and make the system more economical.

• July 25, 2024

LevelTen Energy, the operator of solar and wind energy PPA platforms, has released the "PPA Price Index Report" for the second quarter of 2024. The latest report states that power purchase agreement (PPA) prices have increased in the second quarter of this year, following a slight decline in the previous three months. The report points out that after a 1% decrease in P25 prices in the first quarter of 2024, solar PPA prices increased by 3% in the second quarter. LevelTen stated that a series of factors have exerted upward pressure on North American solar PPA prices. The rise in prices was driven by factors such as internet queue leader, approval difficulties, imposition of tariffs on Chinese photovoltaic modules, and the restart of anti-dumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigations. These events demonstrate that the trade law environment faced by American solar developers is becoming increasingly challenging. The increased cost of using components that require payment of tariffs for various projects is included in the PPA price and has largely contributed to the upward trend of solar energy prices in the second quarter. LevelTen also pointed out that the price of wind power purchase agreements increased by 7% in the second quarter of 2024. The PPA platform states that in the current period of uncertainty, market participants continue to seek innovative ways to reduce risks and successfully complete transactions. Recently, this has been reflected in the increasing use of contract elements to address development risks, particularly through the use of preconditions (CP) and exponentiation in PPA contracts.

• July 22, 2024

According to reports, Chinese regulatory agencies are considering conducting comprehensive fire safety inspections and upgrades on energy storage facilities in operation. For older energy storage stations, strengthening fire safety measures will significantly increase non-technical costs, which may reach as high as 0.2 RMB per watt hour (0.028 USD/watt hour). This move is in response to a series of energy storage plant safety accidents that have occurred globally recently. In the first half of 2024 alone, there were at least six fire incidents involving battery energy storage facilities worldwide, resulting in casualties and property damage. On May 15th, a fire broke out at the Gateway energy storage station in Ota Mesa, San Diego, California, which burned for 11 days until all combustibles were burned out. Germany, France, and the UK have also reported further incidents. In early April, a battery energy storage project in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China caught fire, causing almost all of the construction site to be destroyed. After the accident, the local government required a fire safety inspection and rectification of all battery energy storage facilities under construction and operation within the jurisdiction of Wenzhou. This action, which may be taken nationwide, seems to be an expanded version of the measures taken by the Wenzhou government. Chinese regulatory agencies have consulted energy storage facility manufacturers, builders, and operators to collect their opinions and suggestions. A nationwide fire safety hazard inspection and upgrade plan is expected to be implemented soon.

• July 18, 2024

The latest statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency show that by 2030, global renewable energy capacity must grow at a rate of at least 16.4% per year to achieve the goals promised at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The latest report from the International Renewable Energy Agency highlights a major risk: the world may not be able to achieve the set target of 11.2TW by 2030. The report shows that the growth rate of renewable energy capacity reached a record high of 14% in 2023. The International Renewable Energy Agency has stated that if this growth rate continues, there may be a global shortfall of 1.5 TW by 2030, accounting for as much as 13.5%. The International Energy Agency found that out of 194 countries worldwide, only 14 countries have explicitly set targets for renewable energy installed capacity by 2030. Subsequently, in June of this year, a report was released on the COP28 commitment to double the installed capacity of renewable energy.

• July 15, 2024

The Somali Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has initiated a bidding process for the design, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of off grid solar energy storage power plants. These power plants will provide services to 46 educational institutions in the Benadir administrative region of southeastern Somalia, which also includes the country's capital Mogadishu. The bidding documents list 46 plots, with minimum photovoltaic capacity ranging from 16 kW to 250 kW and minimum battery storage capacity ranging from 50 kWh to 800 kWh. The project is called the Somali Electricity Industry Recovery Project (SESRP) and is funded by the World Bank. The delivery period for this project is eight months from the effective date. Bids must be submitted by mail on or before August 1st. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, as of the end of last year, Somalia had deployed 51 megawatts of solar energy, up from 47 megawatts the year before.