From: "PHOTON Newsletter" <newsletter@photon.info>
Date: Mar 10, 2017 2:30 AM
Subject: PHOTON Newsletter - International edition from March 10, 2017
To: <mbannerman@arcstarenergy.com>
Cc:
Newsletter – March 10, 2017 
U.S. solar market to triple within the next five years, SEIA
© PHOTON Pictures - Matthew Nighswander09.03.2017: Over the next five years, the cumulative U.S. solar market is expected to nearly triple in size, even as a slight dip is expected in 2017, according to the U.S. »Solar Market Insight 2016 Year-in-Review« report published by GTM Research and the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). On average, U.S. PV system pricing fell by nearly 20 percent in 2016. »This is the greatest average year-over-year price decline since GTM Research began modelling pricing in this report series,« says SEIA.
The report forecasts that 13.2 GW of solar PV will be installed in the U.S. in 2017, a 10 percent drop from 2016, though still 75 percent more than was installed in 2015. The dip will occur solely in the utility-scale market, following the unprecedented number of utility-scale projects that came online in the latter half of 2016, most originally scheduled for completion before the original expiration of the federal Investment Tax Credit, which has since been extended. By 2019, the utility-scale segment is expected to rebound, with year-over-year growth across the board.
The U.S. installed 14,800 MW of PV in 2016 to reach 42.4 GW of total installed capacity. The solar industry is poised to grow by 300 percent over the next five years, reaching 100 GW nationwide, expects SEIA.
© PHOTON
Infinity Solar, IB Vogt and Solizer secure 64.1 MW solar power plant in Egypt
Aswan, Egypt
© IB Vogt GmbH09.03.2017: Egyptian-based company Infinity Solar S.A.E. and German-based companies IB Vogt GmbH and Solizer GmbH & Co. KG have announced the successful closure of a 64.1 MW solar power plant project in Benban, Aswan, Egypt, by the »Infinity 50« consortium. The project was approved by the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company in March, confirming financial close under the first round of the Egyptian Feed-in Tariff (FiT) programme. The »Infinity 50« solar park will comprise almost 200,000 solar panels mounted on a state-of-the-art horizontal tracking system. Once operational, the plant is expected to produce over 110,000 MWh per year. »Infinity 50« obtained project financing from German Bayerische Landesbank for 85 percent of the debt, with the remaining 15 percent coming from Arab African International Bank. The loan is covered by the German government through an Euler Hermes ECG.
The facility will be constructed and commissioned by IB Vogt GmbH as the EPC contractor and O&M services provider. Construction is already underway and energization is planned to be reached in the fourth quarter. The electricity output will be sold to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) pursuant to the signed 25-year power purchase agreement.
The project is part of the Benban solar development complex with a total capacity of up to 1.86 GW, which will be one of the largest solar generation facilities in the world when completed. Egypt targets to meet 20 percent of its total energy demand through renewable energies by 2020.
© PHOTON
1366 Technologies achieves 19.9 percent efficiency
Silicon wafer made with the 1366's »Direct Wafer« process (on the right) next to a standard polycrystalline wafer (left).
© 1366 Technologies Inc. - Bob Frechette09.03.2017: US silicon wafer manufacturer 1366 Technologies Inc. announced that the company has jointly achieved with Korean Hanwha Q Cells Co., Ltd. a new performance record of 19.9 percent cell efficiency for 1366's »Direct Wafer« technology. According to the company, the result was independently confirmed by German Fraunhofer ISE CalLab. The result was achieved with 1366's kerfless, drop-in 156 mm multicrystalline wafers and Hanwha Q Cells Q.ANTUM passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) cell process.
In December 2016, 1366 Technologies announced an efficiency of 19.6 percent.
© PHOTON
Mali to receive $25 million concessional loan to build utility-scale PV plant
© PHOTON Pictures - Jörg Böthling09.03.2017: The African Development Bank (AfDB) Board of Directors has approved a senior concessional loan of $25 million to fund the Segou Solar PV Project, Mali's first utility-scale PV power plant. The project, one of the first in Sub-Saharan Africa, consists of the design, construction and operations of a 33 MW power plant. The transformational project will lead to a direct increase in the country's installed capacity from a renewable resource and will generate 52.7 GWh annually (approximately 10 percent of the current generation capacity) over 25 years for a lifetime output of 1,316.75 GWh.
The project will be funded by the Program for Scaling Up Renewable Energy in Low Income Countries (SREP) of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), with co-financing from the AfDB ($8.4 million) and International Finance Corporation ($8.4 million).
The project will be implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle that will be fully owned by the private sector under a 25-year build, own, operate and transfer concession agreement with the Government of Mali and a 25-year power purchase agreement with Mali's national utility, E�nergie du Mali.
© PHOTON
Trina Solar announces resignation of Zhiguo Zhu as Director, COO and President of MBU
Jifan Gao, Trina's Chairman, CEO, and new manager of the MBU
© PHOTON Pictures - Ronald Frommann09.03.2017: Chinese module manufacturer Trina Solar Ltd. announced that Zhiguo Zhu has resigned as a member of the board of directors, chief operating officer and president of the Module Business Unit (MBU) for personal reasons, effective on March 10, 2017. Trina's Chairman and CEO Jifan Gao will assume direct management of the MBU.
© PHOTON
Dulas to join forces with CSR to launch Irish solar ground mount service
Dulas offices in Machynlleth, Wales, UK
© Dulas Ltd09.03.2017: UK renewable energy developer and consultancy Dulas Ltd. is collaborating with consultancy Cunnane Stratton Reynolds (CSR) to launch a solar ground mount service for the Irish market. The collaboration will see the two firms offer design, environment and planning expertise for schemes in the Republic of Ireland.
According to the company, the collaboration will stream-line the development phase of new solar schemes, drawing on both Dulas' expertise in solar PV design and installation, and that of CSR in local planning and environmental assessment. To date Dulas has been instrumental in the delivery of 17 sites totaling 147 MW of ground mount solar in Ireland.
The Irish Government is aiming to source 40 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2020. In particular, Ireland is widely considered to be one of the most promising European markets for ground-mount solar, with Dulas' Irish Brownfield Report estimating the potential for brownfield site development alone at up to 3 GW.
© PHOTON
Manz AG increased revenue in 2016
© Manz AG09.03.2017: German equipment manufacturer Manz AG increased its revenues in 2016 by 4 percent from €222 million ($234 million) in the previous year to €231 ($244 million). In June 2016, Manz AG received the short-notice cancellation of a major order in the Energy Storage business segment, and as a result the associated planned follow-up orders failed to materialize. In addition, the major order for fully integrated production lines for CIGS thin film solar modules received in January of 2017, with a total volume of €263 million ($277 million), ultimately arrived considerably later than initially planned. »Both occurrences had corresponding effects on the company's revenue performance,« says Manz. In its operating business, the company achieved earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of €-22.5 million (previous year: €-41.9 million); earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) also improved to €-36.7 million (previous year: €-58.2 million).
Dieter Manz, CEO and founder of Manz AG, expects »a profitable business performance« for 2017 without stating any figures. Manz AG will publish the final annual report 2016 on March 30.
© PHOTON
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