534 replies to this topic

[sunnysky]

Facebook buys Westcountry company to help with drone plan

http://www.exeterexp...tail/story.html

 

Solar-powered drones providing internet services to remote areas - looks like this is for real.

[sunnysky]

Don't recall this being previously posted.

 

IHS raises 2014 PV global demand forecast to 46GW

http://www.pv-tech.o...gn=newsnow-feed

 

 

“IHS previously expressed its doubts about the Chinese government’s capability to reach an ambitious target of 8GW worth of rooftop solar projects in 2014,” said Ash Sharma, senior director of solar research at IHS. “While IHS still predicts this goal will not be met, China’s recent announcement that it will shift its focus to ground-mount projects and increase its installation target for this segment to 6GW has led us to raise our forecast for 2014.”

 

Indeed, IHS has previously been sceptical of China’s goal of meeting government targets of around 10GW in 2013, forecasting installations of around 7.5GW. However Chinese officials had said installations had exceeded 10GW late last year, while NPD Solarbuzz estimated installations had reached over 11GW.

[BIPV Investor]

http://www.bloomberg...t-on-solar.html

 

A very interesting connection between STP, LDK and Shunfeng. I did not know that one individual was buying large stakes in each company in an attempt to merge them. If that were to happen, and the debt was restructured, one would have a very large manufacture. It goes to show that there is more than one way for consolidation to happen and it won't always be by TSL and JKS acquiring distressed assets.

[JMK]

Unfortunately I'm unable to provide a link. The info below came directly from Russia.

Russia is considering  a building several PV power plants in Crimea, total 1Gw. Today Crimea receives electrical power from Ukraine with almost zero capacity in Crimea itself. Crimea was returned recently under Russian jurisdiction after being within Ukraine for 60 years.  

Ukraine threatened to stop electrical power delivery to Crimea.  Crimea has over 330 sunny days annually.

[sunnysky]

Solar provider ready for Wall Street IPO - ET Solar

http://www.china.org...t_31966210.htm?

 

 

ET Solar's revenue hit $500 million, and net profit reached $3 million in 2013, at a time when most Chinese solar companies were still losing money. She said 37 percent of the revenue came from solar station development and that the proportion will expand to more than 50 percent in 2014.

 

Downstream business is expected to constitute 100 percent of the company's revenue by 2018.

 

She said the company will soon close a round of private financing, with several funds planning to inject $30 million to $35 million.

 

Ninety percent of ET Solar's power plant projects are based in the overseas market, She said, noting they are cooperating with the UK's pension fund to build a 70 MW-80 MW solar plant this year.

[sunnysky]

Finally, some good news coming out of China.

 

Asian shares hit four-month high on China data, Yellen

http://finance.yahoo...-022205964.html

 

 

Asian shares hit four-month high on Tuesday after China's official PMI survey showed manufacturing managed to continue expanding in March, and dovish comments from Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

[explo]

http://www.bloomberg...t-on-solar.html
 
A very interesting connection between STP, LDK and Shunfeng. I did not know that one individual was buying large stakes in each company in an attempt to merge them. If that were to happen, and the debt was restructured, one would have a very large manufacture. It goes to show that there is more than one way for consolidation to happen and it won't always be by TSL and JKS acquiring distressed assets.

Very interesting attempt to consolidate STP and LDK factories (with complementary focus). Personally I hope that capacity in the end will consolidate with the strong names or retire if not competitive.

[greensolar]

Gazprom hikes Ukraine gas price by a third

http://www.bbc.com/n...siness-26831678

[greensolar]

GCL-Poly secures up to USD 800 million in credit for its solar PV project business

http://www.solarserv...t-business.html

[greensolar]

Future bright for fossil fuels, Exxon reports

http://www.spokesman...-exxon-reports/

[luckygoose]

http://www.nasdaq.co...-20140401-00081

lucky

loan for csiq

[odyd]

Chinese company invests in Elkem at 50% stake

http://www.pv-tech.o..._in_elkem_solar

[odyd]

Taiwanese to expand module capacity to compete for orders from Japan. Japanese companies are outsourcing modules instead of cells

http://www.digitimes...40331PD208.html

[odyd]

244MW of solar modules were exported to Ukraine in 2013, with gas prices going up and electricity being cut off to Crimea (or accusation of it) this could be a very quick market for Chinese. CNBM which did 216MW of this volume was the EPC provider as well, was my understanding. Yingli and ReneSola had its direct shipments, but we talking 5 and 3MW only. CNBM contracted YGE for part of own delivery.

[sunnysky]

The disruptive potential of solar power

http://www.mckinsey....of_solar_power?

[Norse]

That is some very good points odyd. And just to add, Ukraine is not a member of the European Union. It would be great if they set up a lot of solar panels, cause that will get some attention.

[sunnysky]

Major study finds more room for solar panels on distribution networks

http://www.utilitywe...2?#.UzuNVPldWrE

 

Networks can handle more solar panels than previously thought without the need to upgrade infrastructure, Europe’s largest monitoring project has revealed.

[uchsteve]

Solar provider ready for Wall Street IPO

 

Chinese panel maker and solar energy solution provider ET Solar is in talks with investment banks to raise $250 million through an initial public offering in the US, CEO Dennis She said on Monday in Nanjing in East China.

 

ET Solar, based in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, developed and completed 130-megawatt solar plants last year, the most powerful of all the Chinese plants, and it aims to raise that number to 300 megawatts in 2014, She said.

 

ET Solar's revenue hit $500 million, and net profit reached $3 million in 2013, at a time when most Chinese solar companies were still losing money. She said 37 percent of the revenue came from solar station development and that the proportion will expand to more than 50 percent in 2014.

 

Ninety percent of ET Solar's power plant projects are based in the overseas market, She said, noting they are cooperating with the UK's pension fund to build a 70 MW-80 MW solar plant this year.

 

http://www.ecns.cn/b...02/107672.shtml

[odyd]

I would probably buy into ET Solar.

[odyd]

Maybe this would be better

http://www.bloomberg...l-offering.html