SEG Solar said it plans to set up a PV module manufacturing plant in Houston with an anticipated annual capacity of more than 2 GW.  

The facility is expected to start construction at the end of 2022 and be fully operational by mid-2023. 

Plans call for the plant to run three production lines capable of producing high efficiency N type Topcon solar modules with 182mm or 210mm solar cells.  

The company said its decision was prompted in part by solar manufacturing incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act.  It said the proposed Texas plant would give it more control over its supply chain and simplify transportation logistics. SEG said it expects that the modules will qualify for federal local content incentives and also avoid or reduce its exposure to tariffs facing manufacturers outside of the United States. 

The company currently has a module fab operation in Vietnam with an annual capacity of 750 MW.

Founded in 2016, Seraphim Energy Group (SEG) said it has supplied modules for more than 1.2 GW of capacity in the U.S. It provides PV modules for the utility, commercial and residential markets.

Engineering company Sweco has been tasked with conducting a feasibility study for floating solar technology in hydro reservoirs in Uganda, as well as completing detailed design of a pilot plant.

Currently, most of Uganda’s electricity generation comes from hydroelectric power. The country is located at the source of the Nile River and is in the process of developing a number of run-of-river dams, including the 600 MW Karuma Hydropower Station. Uganda has a goal of achieving 80% of its electricity access by 2040, with about 30% access rate currently.

Floating solar is intended to diversity the country’s energy mix. The panels will be placed on the surface of a reservoir connected to one of the country’s hydroelectric plants. The client is Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd (UEGCL).

Sweco will conduct a preliminary assessment at four hydroelectric facilities in Uganda to determine which is most suitable for construction of a solar facility. After this, a detailed study and design will be conducted, with specifications to enable the procurement of contractors, financial calculations and the evaluation of environmental aspects developed, as data for investment decisions.

“This is a new technological field that is highly attractive for power companies, private investors and financiers. The energy sector is conducting an increasing number of innovative projects and Sweco has great ambitions to participate in international initiatives to contribute to the green transition,” says Conny Udd, division manager for energy and industry, Sweco Sweden.

For this project, Sweco will be collaborating with two consultancy companies from France and one from Germany, as well as with Ugandan subcontractors.

The project will commence immediately and last for 21 months, with key deliverables comprising a feasibility study report and a detailed design of a pilot floating solar photovoltaic plant. The total order value is SEK8 million ($739,800).

Sweco’s project is part of an agreement between the governments of Sweden and Uganda financed by Swedfund, a state-owned company, that serves as Sweden’s development finance institution.

Solar foundations company Ojjo said it closed a $40 million Series C funding round led by NGP ETP and with Ajax Strategies also participating. 

In addition, James Wallis, partner at NGP, has joined Ojjo’s board of directors. The new funding is expected to speed Ojjo’s growth and execution on its 9 GW project pipeline. 

The company’s product is intended to reduce the amount of steel and labor needed to install a solar array’s foundation. It said its system has been contracted or constructed in 1.6 GW of solar projects to date, including Gemini Solar. 

Ojjo had earlier raised $27 million across two prior funding rounds, with participation from Cthulhu Ventures among others.

Ojjo’s business model aims to address what it sees as shortcomings with traditional pile foundations that may not be suited for every solar application. The company aims to address the market for solar-specific mounting and installation hardware, and says that solar foundations represent a “major untapped opportunity in the industry.” 

The company’s Earth Truss structure resembles an A-frame structure that is made up of underground anchors, above ground legs, and a truss cap. The underground portion can have screw threads or helical flights, depending on the soil type. Ojjo partners with Drill Tech Drilling and Shoring to complete the foundations. 

Heavy and cumbersome

To date, the most common method for securing ground mount frames has relied either on heavy steel piles driven deep into the ground, or concrete ballasts. The weight and size of these foundations is determined by the forces acting on the frame. Typically they need to be heavy making them somewhat cumbersome. 

Such ground mount frames often also need to be braced to protect against lateral forces. This is usually done with rolled steel cross brace sections.

Bracing and anchoring frames using these methods work well for most sites on flat, easily accessible land. However, when solar PV installations are sited in remote locations, hilly or mountainous terrain, these methods can be difficult to execute.

Delivering materials to site can be an expensive logistical challenge with traditional foundations and bracing adding tons of steel to haulage requirements. On top of this, these methods also require heavy plant machinery for installation, which also must be transported to and from site and can be limited by ground conditions.

In response, new lightweight easy-to-install products have been developed to brace and anchor solar ground mount frames and are already helping EPC companies and PV contractors to install on otherwise unusable land.

Panasonic Eco Systems North America released two new lines of its EverVolt solar modules for the residential solar market. 

The 430W/420W HK Black Series panels offer half-cut cells and heterojunction technology with gapless connections and are made with Passivated Emitter and Rear Contact (PERC) technology. 

Panasonic made the announcement at RE+ 2022.

The modules have efficiency ratings of 22.2 and 21.7%, respectively, allowing homeowners to use less roof space. The modules also offer a temperature coefficient of 0.26%/°C and are expected to provide power output of at least 92% in the 25th year after installation.

Both models are covered under Panasonic’s EverVolt AllGuard All System Warranty when purchased with EverVolt ESS 2.0, which covers solar panels and battery storage when bundled together. The warranty covers product performance and labor across major system components, including 25 years of coverage for Panasonic solar panels; 25 years for the racking system; 10 years for the inverter and 10 years for Panasonic EverVolt 2.0 ESS.

Both module series will be available Spring 2023. EverVolt ESS 2.0 will begin shipping in January.

Solar module maker LONGi said it is launching a solar module for residential and commercial applications in the U.S.

The Hi-MO 5 54-cell module is based on the M10 182-mm-monocrystaline wafer. It will be available in early 2023, first as a monofacial module followed by a bifacial module planned for later in the year. 

The Hi-MO 5 54-cell module is designed to provide power outputs up to 420W and maximum efficiencies of 21.5%. The monofacial module carries a 12-year warranty for materials and processing and a 25-year warranty for linear power output.

The bifacial module is expected to be a dual-glass design with a 12-year warranty for materials and processing and a 30-year warranty for linear power output.

The cell weighs around 50 pounds. China-based LONGi said it is compatible with standard module racking and mounting systems as well as with smart module-level power electronics (MLPE) devices such as Enphase microinverters and SolarEdge optimizers, as well as other string inverters.