The cost of solar in Japan declined as much as 15% in one year, but a lack of clear policy direction from the government has left a number of businesses with a “pessimistic” outlook of the industry’s future, according to a survey by the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation (JREF).
Kyocera is targeting the German market for self-consumed solar electricity, with the Japanese company preparing to launch a home energy storage system in May.
PV OEM power distribution products producer Bentek has increased its manufacturing capacity by 40% with the opening of a new facility in San Jose, California.
Specialist PV tracking systems supplier NEXTracker has been awarded a contract to supply California-based PV EPC firm, CalCom Solar with 100MW of tracker systems that will be used in projects primarily for the EPC firm’s agricultural and water systems businesses.
Japan’s residential and small commercial solar industry could represent a “huge, huge opportunity” for suppliers of inverters and module-level power electronics, according to an analyst with market research firm IHS.
The worldwide market for balance of systems (BOS) for solar power could be worth US$21 billion by 2019, with the greatest activity expected to be seen in the commercial sector, according to a new report from analysis firm IHS.
Another phase of a 400MW Texas photovoltaic plant, constructed by a partnership between developer OCI Solar and local utility CPS Energy, has been completed, bringing 5.5MW onto the grid in San Antonio.
The director of the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) solar cost cutting programme has hailed the “phenomenal jobs growth rate” that the US solar industry has enjoyed in recent times.
Solar microinverter manufacturer Enphase has stepped up its involvement in a collaborative effort with Hawaii’s main electric utility to stabilise the US state’s grid networks.
One of the founders of PV inverter maker SMA Solar Technology, Günther Cramer, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 62 after a “long, difficult illness,” the company has announced.
