China

Investments in renewables are hitting new highs in China, as recurrent Covid-19 outbreaks and a crisis-stricken housing market threaten the world’s second-biggest economy, according to BloombergNEF.

ROTH Capital Partners reports 3 GW have been seized under enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

Deutsche Bank has revealed that China’s green finance market surpassed CNY 20 trillion (AU$4.07 billion) in value in the first half of 2022. Haitai Solar has listed shares in Beijing, while Shangji has revealed plans for a new polysilicon project in Inner Mongolia.

Canadian Solar has announced plans to invest in a new solar production base in Qinghai province, while Boamax Technologies has revealed that it will build a new heterojunction solar cell and module factory in Anhui province.

Chinese manufacturer Bslbatt has unveiled an upgraded version of its residential battery. The device has a storage capacity ranging from 5.12 to 12.8 kWh and is reportedly able to provide steady operation for up to 6,000 charge cycles.

Beny Electric unveiled a micro-inverter series with efficiency of up to 97.5% and a European efficiency of up to 97%. The micro-inverters are available in three different versions with a rated power output of 550 VA, 700 VA, and 2,800 VA, respectively.

Chinese researchers claim to have improved the performance of a proton exchange membrane electrolyser by connecting it to a thermal energy storage system.

A prominent analyst in China expects the price of the solar panel raw material to pass CNY 300 (AU$65.5) per kg soon and says the sky-high prices will continue at least through September.

A new report from the International Energy Agency stresses the importance of geographically diversifying the global PV supply chain. This would prevent supply chain vulnerability to bankruptcies and underinvestment.

In other news, DAH Solar announced a 5 GW TOPCon solar module factory in Anhui province and Tongwei further raised the prices of its solar cells.