Welcome back to another busy week! This time, we are covering German PV industry’s immunity to COVID-19, Israel’s ambitious plan for solar energy and JinkoSolar’s victory, and many more!
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Your Monday Briefings is now divided into 2 sections:
- The 1st section has all the solar news related to COVID-19
- The 2nd section has the solar news which has little to do with the pandemic.
SECTION 1: COVID-19 WATCH
Australia
Australia added 222MW new rooftop solar in May while new solar on decline
Judging from the data of rooftop PV incentives programs Small Scale Technology certificates (STCs), the installed rooftop PV capacity was 222 MW in May. The figure does not seem to reflect the negative impact from COVID-19.
Conversely, the new PV solar has decreased 2 months in a row. The PV installers have also reported a decline in their new business leads.
This discrepancy of the solar PV industry landscape could be due to the time lag between the enrolling in the household solar program and issuance of STCs.
Source: pv magazine
Germany
Germany’s PV industry immune to COVID-19
According to Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), the country has added 380 MW of new solar in April, showing little impact from the coronavirus crisis.
Source: pv magazine
India
Covid-19 delayed 63% of India’s planned big solar in first quarter
63% of India’s planned PV installation is postponed in 2020Q1
The nation planned to install 1,864 MW in 2020Q1. However, due to COVID-19, only 989 MW was installed.
The renewables consultancy Bridge To India reports that the utility scale PV accounted for 70% of the installation, which was 689 MW; and rooftop solar made up for 30% of the installation, which was 300 MW.
Source: pv magazine
The U.S.
Shadow looms over the sunny prospect of US PV
Both Wood Mackenzie and industry advocate the U.S. Energy Storage Association stated that US PV industry was doing well in 2020Q1 and predicted that 2020 will actually outperform 2019, contrary to what the rest of world was reporting.
However, industry insiders are less optimistic and warned that COVID-19 will impact Q2 more seriously.
Source: pv magazine
SECTION 2-1: NON-COVID-19 Regional Market News
And for those of you who are sick of COVID-19 news, here are the news that are not (entirely) related to COVID-19.
China
China’s Ministry of Commerce has announced its decision on May 29 that Hanwha Solutions Corporation will inherit Hanwha Chemical Corporation’s anti-dumping tariff on solar-grade multi polysilicon made in South Korea (8.9%). Effective on June 5, 2020.
The U.K.
The UK approved the construction of 350MW Cleve Hill Solar-plus-storage PV installation in Kent, located in the southeastern part of England.
Israel
Israel’s National Lottery Helps Adding 116 MW of New Rooftop Solar
Israel’s Mifal HaPais National Lottery Company was in favor of a subsidy scheme promoting rooftop photovoltaic systems.
The scheme provides subsidies to photovoltaic systems with an installed capacity of not more than 200kW.
There are about 141 districts that have applied to have solar panels installed on the rooftops of schools, parliament buildings, clinics, daycare centers and community centers. The total planned new solar was 116 MW.
Israel Wants to Add 15 GW New Solar
Israel’s Ministry of Energy announced its new plan to add 15 GW new solar to reach the country’s renewable energy target: increase the renewable energy share from 17% to 30% by 2030.
India
India’s coalition government has announced a new subsidy scheme to promote rooftop solar projects.
The subsidy for rooftop photovoltaic systems of 3 kW has been increased from 30% to 40%.
For rooftop photovoltaic systems of 4-10 kW, 20%, of subsidy will be provided.
There will be no subsidies for rooftop photovoltaics of 10 kW.
Australia
Australia’s government of New South Wales, has launched an open project, of which the purpose is to assess the interest of solar, wind and energy storage developers working with the 3GW Midwest Renewable Energy Zone (REZ).
The government has asked developers to submit a letter of intent for the project by June 5.
Croatia
The Croatian government has introduced a new tender scheme for renewable energy and cogeneration projects with the aim of allocating 2.26 GW of renewable energy capacity.
Solar accounted for 1,075 MW. The rest will include other renewables, such as hydropower, wind, biomass, biogas, and geothermal energy.
For solar projects, the government plans to allocate 210MW of installed capacity for projects ranging in size from 50kW to 500kW projects, 240 MW for projects from 500 kW to 10 MW, and 625 MW for projects over 10 MW.
The U.S.
The U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued Circular 2020-41: The solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) policy for certain solar and wind energy investments was extended for one year.
Additionally, the Ministry of Finance stipulates that a 3.5-month extension will be granted, provided that PV goods and services have been purchased after September 16, 2019 and have not been delivered due to the epidemic.
And the grid connection deadlines of PV projects will be extended to October 15.
SECTION 2-2: NON-COVID-19 Company News
Hanwha Q Cell vs JinkoSolar
The U.S. International Trade Commission has issued a final determination in favor of JinkoSolar, which concludes that Jinko’s products do not infringe the patent asserted by South Korean PV module maker Hanwha Q Cell, which has expressed its intention to appeal.
TBEA
On May 28, the People’s Government of Keshan County, Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province, and TBEA signed a strategic cooperation agreement with a total investment of US$847.7 million (RMB 6 billion).
The two parties will collaborate on renewables industry development and upstream and downstream supporting industries of renewables within three years.
TBEA will build a 600 MW grid parity wind project, 400 MW grid parity PV project and an incremental distribution network for an industrial park
Meanwhile, regarding the upstream and downstream supporting measures, construction of facilities with an annual output of 500MW photovoltaic inverters and other electrical products.
JinkoSolar
On May 30, a commencement ceremony took place to mark the start of operation of the JinkoSolar’s (Yiwu) 16 GW high-efficiency solar module project.
The investment in this project totaled US$1.554 billion (RMB 11 billion).
Dupont & LONGi
LONGi and DuPont signed a strategic cooperation agreement, aiming to create high-quality photovoltaic modules through efficient and reliable photovoltaic materials,
Meanwhile, in terms of products, technology, branding, marketing, and more, the cooperation between the two parties will be deepened.
