The modeled costs to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems continued to decline in the first quarter of 2016 in the U.S. residential, commercial, and utility-scale sectors, according to updated benchmarks from the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). According to NREL, driving the cost reductions were lower PV module and inverter prices, increased competition, lower installer and developer overheads, improved labor productivity, and optimized system configurations.

Meyer Burger Technology Ltd (Thun, Switzerland) on September 28th, 2016 announced that it has initiated a company-wide structural programme. The objective of the programme is to extensively strengthen the company’s strategic technology units focussed on high-end photovoltaic user markets and to increase its flexibility in the often challenging high-end key markets, reads the press release.

JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. (Beijing, China) on September 28th, 2016 announced its decision to withdraw from the European Union’s price undertaking for solar photovoltaic (PV) products. The Company will now serve the European market through its manufacturing facilities outside of China.

SolarCity Corp. (San Mateo, CA, U.S.) on September 28th, 2016 announced that it has partnered with Citi bank (Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S.) to create two separate funds to finance more than USD 347 million in solar PV projects. The first fund is expected to finance more than USD 284 million in residential solar photovoltaic (PV) projects across the U.S. The second fund is expected to finance approximately USD 63 million in projects for small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) throughout California.

SPI Energy Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China), a global provider of photovoltaic (PV) solutions for business, residential, government and utility customers and investors, on September 28th, 2016 announced the entry into of purchase agreements with certain existing shareholders (including certain key management personnel of the Company) and other investors to issue and sell ordinary shares of the Company to the purchasers at a price of USD 0.259 per Share for a total consideration of approximately USD 100 million (Private Placement).

Canadian Solar Inc. (Guelph, Ontario) on September 28th, 2016 announced that it has been awarded USD 3.5 million funding from Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for two of its solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, totaling 47 MWp in Australia.

NRG Energy Inc. (Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.) on September 27th, 2016 announced that its renewables business has broken ground on its first five community solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Minnesota and reached agreements to subscribe several national business customers to its solar farms in the state.

Solaria Corporation (Fremont, California, U.S.), a manufacturer of advanced solar photovoltaic (PV) modules, filed suit against GCL Solar Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of GCL-Poly Energy Holdings Limited (Hong Kong, China), on September 9th, 2016 in the Superior Court of the State Court of California, for violating the terms of the parties’ 2014 nondisclosure agreement, committing acts of unfair competition by misappropriating Solaria’s confidential trade secret information and using the information to make solar panels based on Solaria’s proprietary technology.

UL (Northbrook, IL, U.S.) on September 27th, 2016 announced the acquisition of AWS Truepower (Albany, NY, U.S.), an energy engineering services and advisory firm. This achievement expands UL's global renewable energy portfolio by strengthening full lifecycle solutions for wind and solar energy sectors, UL notes.

India has one of the fastest growing solar markets in the world. According to the Mercom Capital Group, a total of 8.1 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic (PV) capacity had been installed in the country by August 2016, and 21 additional GW are already in the pipeline. These figures present the ideal backdrop against which to hold Intersolar India. From October 19th–21st, around 230 exhibitors – 15% more than last year – are showcasing their products and services to visitors at India’s largest exhibition and conference for the solar industry.