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Suniva and Nuance Energy to Power California Almond Grower
Nov 17, 2015 | Business Wire
Suniva, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, with headquarters in metro-Atlanta and manufacturing facilities in Georgia and Michigan, today announced that it will soon power two Bushnell family farms in California’s central valley. -
Kern almond grower going solar
Nov 17, 2015 | Central Valley Business Times
Two Bushnell family farms in the Central Valley are going solar, contracting with Suniva Inc., a U.S. maker of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells. -
Lower-Cost Wind and Solar Will Drive Energy Storage Technology
Nov 17, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Naureen Malik
Large wind and solar farms can compete in the power market even with low natural gas prices and will drive the adoption of technology to store renewable energy, according to an analysis by financial advisers Lazard Ltd. -
Batteries start to compete for power grid
Nov 17, 2015 | Financial Times
By Ed Crooks
The cost of batteries is falling to the point that they are becoming an increasingly viable option for uses such as supporting the stability of power grids, according to Lazard, the investment bank. -
Climate Deal Expected to Mean More Green Bonds
Nov 18, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Andrew Mayedaa
A global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which negotiators expect to reach during talks beginning this month in Paris, would boost issuance of so-called green bonds, according to the World Bank Group's International Finance Corp. -
U.K. Government Expected to Shift Policy on Support for Renewable Energy
Nov 17, 2015 | The Wall Street Journal
By Selina Williams
The U.K. government will make keeping the lights on the top priority with natural gas and nuclear power playing a central role in that goal, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd is expected to say in a major speech later Wednesday setting out a new energy policy for the country. -
EPC giant Mortenson enters energy storage market
Nov 17, 2015 | Recharge
By Karl-Erik
Mortenson Construction, a leading builder of utility-scale wind and solar projects in North America, has launched into the energy storage market, adding to the growing list of renewables heavyweights diversifying into the storage business. -
JA Solar Delivers Modules To Largest Solar Power Project In Philippines
Nov 18, 2015 | CleanTechnica
By Smiti Mittal
One of the largest Chinese module manufacturers, JA Solar, announced that it has completed delivery of 92.5 MW solar PV modules in mid-October to be installed at the Philippines largest solar PV power project. -
German Company Plans 1.25 GW Solar Power Capacity In Iran
Nov 18, 2015 | CleanTechnica
By Smiti Mittal
Iran continues to attract global interest in its largely under-developed renewable energy sector. -
Australian holiday island goes 45% renewable with new PV array
Nov 18, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Jonathan Gifford
The Western Australian island of Rottnest will achieve 45% renewable penetration with a new 600 kW PV array, which will be coupled with an existing wind turbine. Together the renewable generation sources will supply the island with almost half of its power, necessitating a sophisticated diesel-hybrid control system to be delivered by Hydro Tasmania. -
Trina nets US$90m to finance global expansion
Nov 17, 2015 | PV Tech
By Andy Colthorpe
Wells Fargo and Barclays have signed financing facility agreements with Trina Solar’s subsidiaries in the US and Singapore, worth a total of US$90 million. -
WHO Urges Action to ‘Save Lives' at UN Climate Talks
Nov 18, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Nora Macaluso
Climate change is “the defining issue for the 21st century,” and health advocates ought to “lend their voice” to the discussion that will take place at the United Nations climate change summit in Paris in December, the World Health Organization said Nov. 17.
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Suniva and Nuance Energy to Power California Almond Grower
Nov 17, 2015 | Business Wire
Suniva, Inc., a U.S. manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells and modules, with headquarters in metro-Atlanta and manufacturing facilities in Georgia and Michigan, today announced that it will soon power two Bushnell family farms in California’s central valley.
Suniva’s OPTimus panels are being installed by Nuance Energy Group, Inc. and it’s solar contracting division, AgWell Solar® to bring 824kW of solar energy to Bushnell Farms and Three and One Farms, both operated by the Bushnell family, an almond grower in Buttonwillow, California. The Bushnell family is one of many local area growers that has recently discovered how solar power will help them reap huge savings by harvesting energy from the sun, and that it can be done affordably, too. This decision to go solar comes at an ideal time for many California farmers, who have formally relied on PG&E’s AG-ICE rate plan set to expire on December 31, 2015.
“With the ten year AG-ICE rate plan coming to an end, we realized we would need an alternative plan to avoid a significant rate increase imposed by PG&E,” said Julia Bushnell, owner of Bushnell Farms. “Our decision to go solar was an easy one - after doing the math, we determined that our solar installations would reduce our utility costs by seventy-one percent. We couldn’t pass it up.”
“Current PG&E AG-ICE customers are in for a world of hurt come Jan 1, 2016,” said Brian C. Boguess, president of Nuance Energy. “That’s because PG&E will place them on an AG5 rate schedule, which will almost double what they are currently paying. The rate change would cost the two Bushnell family Ag operations more than $136,000 in 2016. However, by going solar and converting to an AG4 rate plan, AgWell Solar will save the Bushnell family an estimated $208,000 next year.”
“It’s great to see California’s agriculture enterprises take advantage of solar energy,” said Matt Card, vice president of global sales and marketing of Suniva. “Harvesting solar energy is a very natural complement to agri-business, not only in California, but nation-wide, and our high-powered OPTimus modules, combined with Nuance Energy’s affordable, modular and portable Osprey PowerPlatform® solar racking structures, are the perfect fit for someone seeking a high-quality, cost-effective solar solution.”
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Kern almond grower going solar
Nov 17, 2015 | Central Valley Business Times
Two Bushnell family farms in the Central Valley are going solar, contracting with Suniva Inc., a U.S. maker of high-efficiency crystalline silicon solar cells.
Suniva’s “OPTimus” panels are being installed by Nuance Energy Group Inc. and its solar contracting division, AgWell Solar to bring 824kW of solar energy to Bushnell Farms and Three and One Farms, both operated by the Bushnell family, an almond grower in Buttonwillow.
Suniva says solar for farm operations is increasingly attractive with the scheduled ending of Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s “Agricultural Internal Combustion Engine Conversion Incentive Program” at the end of the year. Ag-ICE, as it is known, offers lower electric rates in some cases.
“With the ten year AG-ICE rate plan coming to an end, we realized we would need an alternative plan to avoid a significant rate increase imposed by PG&E,” says Julia Bushnell, owner of Bushnell Farms. “Our decision to go solar was an easy one -- after doing the math, we determined that our solar installations would reduce our utility costs by 71 percent. We couldn’t pass it up.”
“Current PG&E AG-ICE customers are in for a world of hurt,” says Brian Boguess, president of Nuance Energy. “That’s because PG&E will place them on an AG5 rate schedule, which will almost double what they are currently paying. The rate change would cost the two Bushnell family Ag operations more than $136,000 in 2016. However, by going solar and converting to an AG4 rate plan, AgWell Solar will save the Bushnell family an estimated $208,000 next year.”
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Lower-Cost Wind and Solar Will Drive Energy Storage Technology
Nov 17, 2015 | Bloomberg
By Naureen Malik
Large wind and solar farms can compete in the power market even with low natural gas prices and will drive the adoption of technology to store renewable energy, according to an analysis by financial advisers Lazard Ltd.
The cost to build a utility-scale solar photovoltaic plant has fallen by about 80 percent since 2009 while wind projects have dropped by 60 percent, the financial advisory and asset management company said in a report. Lower costs make large renewable power projects competitive with conventional generators without subsidies.
The need for systems to store renewable energy so it can be used when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow will drive down the cost of batteries over the next five years, the report said. Batteries aren’t cheap enough to allow renewable power to replace coal- and gas-fired plants.
“Utility-scale solar and utility-scale wind technologies continue to be a cost-effective complement to conventional generation even in a low natural gas environment,” Jonathan Mir, head of the North American power and utilities group at Lazard in New York, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “Storage may be on the cusp of a pattern very similar to renewables five to seven years ago. This is the critical element.”Thin-Film Technology
Cheaper utility-scale solar systems are coming. The cost to build a large farm using thin-film technology panels may decline to $43 per megawatt-hour in 2017 from about $50 to $60, report showed. Wind costs about $32 to $77.
By comparison, combined-cycle gas-fired plants, among the most efficient, cost about $52 to $78 while the cost for coal plants ranges from $65 to $150.
“Energy costs can be more expensive outside the U.S. and that relative competitiveness can be even stronger in other parts of the world where there are good wind and solar resources,” Mir said.
The catch is that renewables and battery storage can’t replace so-called baseload generation needed throughout the day to keep the lights on, according to the report. Smaller rooftop solar projects, which can cost $184 to $300, can’t compete with conventional generation without subsidies.
Storage systems are still too costly to replace a gas-fired plant because battery life “is more difficult and costly to increase than the size of battery,” the report found.Niche Applications
Lithium-ion batteries are becoming cost-effective in niche applications such as maintaining voltage and frequency on transmission lines, and can help defer high-cost projects such as substations, the report found.
“With an increased demand for storage, we will expect to see declines in cost, which creates a virtuous cycle, which enables us to use more renewables and increase volumes,” Mir said.
The cost of a lithium-ion battery used for frequency regulation is about $211 to $275, Lazard said. That compares with $321 to $658 if those batteries are used to replace power plant output needed to meet peak demand.
“For 20 or 30 years people have been asking battery engineers how to make a battery better for cell phones or laptops,” Mir said. “People are only starting to ask how they can apply that to a power grid. The power industry is enormously focused on this.”
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Batteries start to compete for power grid
Nov 17, 2015 | Financial Times
By Ed Crooks
The cost of batteries is falling to the point that they are becoming an increasingly viable option for uses such as supporting the stability of power grids, according to Lazard, the investment bank.
Electricity storage has until recently been prohibitively expensive, but its emergence at an economically viable cost will enable increased use of wind and solar power, which are not always available.
The cost of renewable energy has fallen sharply over the past decade as market growth, usually encouraged by subsidies, has enabled manufacturers of wind turbines and solar panels to benefit from economies of scale.
Similar trends are now at work in electricity storage with investments such as Tesla’s battery “gigafactory”, now under construction in Nevada, greatly increasing manufacturing capacity.
Within five years, Lazard believes, the price of batteries is likely to have fallen to the point that they will be competitive against back-up fossil fuel power generation for a wide range of uses.
“Storage is looking far more optimistic in terms of innovation and material impact now,” said George Bilicic, global leader of Lazard’s power, energy and infrastructure practice.
“Power grid applications were grade school science projects a few years ago. They are much more real now.”
The need for electricity storage has grown along with the use of renewable energy. Onshore wind and solar power in sunny areas are now competitive with conventional coal and gas-fired electricity generation even without subsidies, according to Lazard.
However, because their output is not consistent through the day, and cannot be called on whenever needed, they have to be supported by other power sources. These are typically gas-fired “peaker” plants, which cost more to run than the most efficient generation and are used only when demand is highest.
Batteries are still typically more expensive than peaker plants for uses such as supporting the grid at times of strain or backing up renewable energy, but Lazard expects that in five years’ time they will be generally competitive options even without any subsidies or tax breaks.
New electricity storage installed on to the grid to support wind and solar power is likely to grow more than 60-fold from 196 megawatts of capacity this year to 12,700MW in 2025, according to Navigant, a research firm.
Jim Robo, the chief executive of NextEra Energy, told a conference in September he expected that after 2020, “there may never be another peaker built in the United States”, because electricity storage would be used instead.
NextEra, which owns Florida Power & Light, a utility, is one of many US and international companies investing in storage. AES, the Virginia-based power company, is for example providing 100MW of battery storage capacity for Southern California Edison, another utility.
The PJM electricity grid, which stretches from Tennessee to New Jersey, has become a centre for investment in storage because its market design rewards sources that can be brought on quickly to support the infrastructure.
Widespread use of energy storage was not essential for increased reliance on renewables, said Mr Bilicic. A “blended” mix of solar, wind and gas-fired power, with improved energy efficiency, could be competitive with conventional coal plants, he added.
Anissa Dehamna of Navigant said the best long-term option to back up variable renewable energy might be flexible combined-cycle gas turbine plants.
General Electric and Siemens have brought on to the market new turbines that can ramp output up and down faster and with higher efficiency than previous models.
However, electricity storage will make it easier to increase the contribution made by renewables, Lazard believes, and can generally be deployed faster than new gas-fired power plants.
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Climate Deal Expected to Mean More Green Bonds
Nov 18, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Andrew Mayedaa
A global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which negotiators expect to reach during talks beginning this month in Paris, would boost issuance of so-called green bonds, according to the World Bank Group's International Finance Corp.
“A binding global agreement in Paris would certainly make a market-based approach to solving climate investment issues much more viable,” Jingdong Hua, the IFC's vice president and treasurer, said in a telephone interview Nov. 17. “It will certainly give us a much more enabling environment for green financing.”
The IFC on Nov. 17 was issuing a $500 million, three-year green bond in London. The sale brings to $4.4 billion the amount of green bonds the institution has issued during the past five years, according to the IFC.
Bonds labeled “green” generally channel their proceeds into renewable energy resources and other technologies that help the environment. In the IFC's case, projects funded with the proceeds must combat climate change by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or improving resilience against climate-change risks.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates the value of new green-bond lending may exceed $40 billion this year. While that would top the record $38.8 billion in 2014, it would also mark a slowdown in the market's annual growth rate. Last year, issuance more than doubled.
The “pause” is likely due to the challenge of finding “bankable” climate-related projects, rather than a lack of interest from investors, Hua said. Having a binding global target for reducing carbon emissions would provide a financial anchor for such projects.
Global Ambition
“When you look at the infrastructure financing needs and the climate financing needs, $40 billion is nowhere near the global ambition,” Hua said.
The climate summit is due to begin Nov. 30, when leaders from around the world will meet in Paris to attempt what a 2009 summit in Copenhagen failed to do—reach a global agreement with binding targets on how to cut fossil-fuel use. Countries have already submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, pledging the scope of emissions cuts.
The IFC committed $1.15 billion in the fiscal year ended June 30 to 38 projects that combined will reduce carbon emissions by almost 2.5 million tons—equivalent to taking about 500,000 cars off the road.
The projects include a solar-power facility for the mining industry in Chile, a wind-power plant in Panama and a hydro-power plant in Pakistan.
The security issued Nov. 17 is a bullet bond denominated in U.S. dollars. While most IFC green bonds fall under that category, it has also issued debt in Turkish lira, Brazilian real and Chinese yuan since it began the program in 2010.
The IFC is the arm of the World Bank that focuses on lending to the private sector, with the goal of ending extreme poverty worldwide. The IFC finances nearly all its lending by issuing bonds.
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U.K. Government Expected to Shift Policy on Support for Renewable Energy
Nov 17, 2015 | The Wall Street Journal
By Selina Williams
The U.K. government will make keeping the lights on the top priority with natural gas and nuclear power playing a central role in that goal, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd is expected to say in a major speech later Wednesday setting out a new energy policy for the country.
The move appears to mark an end to previous governments’ policy of supporting renewable energy, such as wind power and solar, with generous subsidies in efforts to meet 2020 climate change target to cut emissions by increasing the amount of renewable energy in the power sector.
When he came to power in the previous coalition government, Prime Minister David Cameron pledged to create the “greenest government ever.” But since winning a majority in general elections earlier this year, Mr. Cameron’s government has pulled back on once generous subsidies for wind and solar energy, drawing criticism from environmentalists and investors in the technology. His government has also thrown its weight behind efforts to explore for shale gas.
Mrs. Rudd is expected to say that replacing coal-fired power stations with gas-fired plants will be one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the electricity sector.
“Gas is central to our energy secure future. In the next 10 years, it’s imperative that we get new gas-fired power stations built,” Mrs. Rudd will say in the speech.
Her comments come just weeks ahead of a major United Nations climate conference in Paris in December where participants hope to nail down an international agreement to cut emissions.
The U.K. is the world’s sixth largest producer of wind power, according to data from the Global Wind Energy Council. Last year, the U.K. government paid over £800 million in subsidies to onshore wind farms which generated around 5% of the country’s electricity.
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EPC giant Mortenson enters energy storage market
Nov 17, 2015 | Recharge
By Karl-Erik
Mortenson Construction, a leading builder of utility-scale wind and solar projects in North America, has launched into the energy storage market, adding to the growing list of renewables heavyweights diversifying into the storage business.As an EPC contractor, Mortenson will play “various roles” in the small but rapidly growing storage market, including building both grid-scale and behind-the-meter storage assets for customers, the Minnesota-based company says.
The move follows the September launch of Mortenson rival RES Americas into the energy storage and distributed solar markets.
At present, battery-based storage systems make the most economic sense in the US when integrated with commercial and industrial buildings, as clients look to avoid the hefty demand charges imposed by utilities. But many experts believe grid-scale battery storage will take off in a major way in the coming years.
In making its announcement, Mortenson pointed to an industry study predicting that the utility-scale, grid-connected battery storage market will hit 12GW by 2024.
The North American storage market will be driven by “increasing renewable energy generation, supportive policies and regulations, and growth of smart grids and energy infrastructure”, Mortenson says.
“With steady growth in wind and solar energy and next-generation smart grids, there’s a need for reliable construction partners in the energy storage market,” says Mark Donahue, vice president and general manager at Mortenson.
Mortenson’s new energy storage business be headed by Brent Bergland, a company veteran who has worked in global markets like Canada and Australia, and led Mortenson’s expansion into the high-voltage transmission market.
Privately owned Mortenson is among North America’s largest EPC contractors in both the wind and solar markets – a job that requires assembling large construction crews in remote parts of the continent.
Mortenson has built about one-quarter of the US wind capacity installed over the past 20 years, and is also among the country's largest builders of big solar projects.
Mortenson counts heavyweight renewables developers like EDF, Iberdrola and Pattern Energy among its clients, some of them already investing in storage projects.
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JA Solar Delivers Modules To Largest Solar Power Project In Philippines
Nov 18, 2015 | CleanTechnica
By Smiti Mittal
One of the largest Chinese module manufacturers, JA Solar, announced that it has completed delivery of 92.5 MW solar PV modules in mid-October to be installed at the Philippines largest solar PV power project.
The 132.5 MW project is being built in Cadiz City, in the Negros Occidental province of the Philippines, 92.5 MW of which will be equipped with JA Solar’s JAP6-72 310 W modules, including an initial on-site instalment of over 30 MW.
Negros Occidental has been described in local newspapers as the solar capital of the Philippines, consisting of 12 solar projects with an aggregate capacity of 580.5 MW. All projects are believed to have secured all the necessary approvals, and at time of writing, 45 MW projects have been installed in the province. The 132.5 MW is in its construction phase, however details on the projects progress and completion are currently not available.
Philippines is one of the rapidly emerging solar markets of South-east Asia, with several projects under construction. Recently, German firm Conergy has announced deal to construct two solar projects totalling 62 MW in Negros Occidental to further strengthen its presence as a market leader of solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) in Philippines.
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German Company Plans 1.25 GW Solar Power Capacity In Iran
Nov 18, 2015 | CleanTechnica
By Smiti Mittal
Iran continues to attract global interest in its largely under-developed renewable energy sector.
According to the Iranian news agency, Mehr, the Iran Energy Ministry has recently signed a deal with a German company to build 1,250 MW of solar power plants in the Tehran province.
While not naming the German company, the news agency stated that the company will develop a number of solar power projects across several provinces in Iran.
Under the deal, 500 MW of solar projects will be built in Tehran province — including 150 MW in Kahrizak, 200 MW in Varamin, and 150 MW in Malard. Additionally, 750 MW of projects will be constructed in the central Isfahan and north-western Tabriz regions. The construction of the first project is expected to commence in early 2016 with expected completion by May 2016.
The German company will be responsible for fully financing the projects in exchange for long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and 20 years land lease at low rates.
“The envisaged plan is to increase power generation capacity during the post-sanction era by various means including foreign direct investment, construction of new solar, wind and incinerator plants as well as building small-scale plants with distributed generation,” managing director of the Great Tehran Electrical Distribution company stated.
This deal is a part of Iranian’s government goal to install 5 GW of renewable capacity by 2020. The implementation of 500 MW wind energy capacity and 100 MW biomass projects has already started.
Several foreign companies are looking to invest in largely un-tapped renewable energy market of Iran. A consortium of Iranian, Indian and South Korean companies aims to set up an energy park in the Khuzestan province in a $10 billion project consisting of 1 GW of solar power capacity. Also, German companies are expected to begin building wind farms in Iran from next year.
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Australian holiday island goes 45% renewable with new PV array
Nov 18, 2015 | PV Magazine
By Jonathan Gifford
The Western Australian island of Rottnest will achieve 45% renewable penetration with a new 600 kW PV array, which will be coupled with an existing wind turbine. Together the renewable generation sources will supply the island with almost half of its power, necessitating a sophisticated diesel-hybrid control system to be delivered by Hydro Tasmania.
A new Australian project will demonstrate how island communities can achieve high levels of renewable energy penetration and achieve big savings on diesel fuel. The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is partnering with Hydro Tasmania to deliver a 600 kW PV array and power management system to holiday location and A-class nature reserve Rottnest Island.
ARENA will provide AU$4.8 million (US$3.4 million) in funding for the project.
A part of the renewable solution will be an electricity load control system that will allow for the island’s desalination plant and water pumping facility to be switched on when there is plentiful renewable energy being produced. By doing this, ARENA reports that 45% renewable penetration will be achieved on Rottnest without the need for battery storage.
Currently the island draws its 5 GWh of annual electricity demand from five diesel generators and the wind turbine, which was installed in 2004. Summer demand is significantly higher than in the winter.
“This project will build on Hydro Tasmania’s efforts on King Island,” said ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht, pointing to an island demonstration project off Australia’s southeast coast. “Six hundred kilowatts of new solar photovoltaic (PV) will be integrated with the existing 600 kW wind turbine and diesel generators on Rottnest Island by adopting the advanced control systems developed during the King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project.”
ARENA says that it hopes the approach will be replicated elsewhere in off grid communities, particularly when they rely of desalinated water.
An energy technology center will be established on the island, which is popular with holiday makers and school groups from the city of Perth, to educate visitors about the renewable solution.
ARENA plans for AU$3 million (US$2.1 million) of its grant to be recouped over the life of the project. Total project costs come in at AU$7.3 million (US$5.2 million).
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Trina nets US$90m to finance global expansion
Nov 17, 2015 | PV Tech
By Andy Colthorpe
Wells Fargo and Barclays have signed financing facility agreements with Trina Solar’s subsidiaries in the US and Singapore, worth a total of US$90 million.
China’s Trina Solar, a member of the group dubbed the “super league” of module manufacturers by PV Tech, announced the deals today. Like many others in the top bracket, the company has also vertically integrated a downstream project business utilising its own modules.
Wells Fargo, the US bank, will lend US$60 million to Trina Solar US, as a flexible “revolving loan”, meaning Trina can withdraw funds from the facility on a timeline of its own choosing. The loan will be used to provide the capital to target unspecified “market opportunities in the region”.
Meanwhile, the Singapore subsidiary of Trina, Trina (Singapore) Science and Technology, is looking to “capture growing opportunities in the Asia-Pacific region”. It has been provided with a US$30 million line of credit from Barclays, to boost its working capital in the region.
“In addition to our well established network in China, these two financing arrangements obtained through our overseas subsidiaries not only mark a new milestone for our company in terms of leveraging our global network to establish new financing platforms, but also reflect the growing confidence that premier global banks have in our business operations,” Trina Solar chief financial officer Teresa Tan said.
Tan went on to say that Trina would continue to “diversify our sources of funding” which it would seek at low cost so that the company could “take advantage of favourable conditions in the solar energy sector”.
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WHO Urges Action to ‘Save Lives' at UN Climate Talks
Nov 18, 2015 | BNA Daily Environment Report
By Nora Macaluso
Climate change is “the defining issue for the 21st century,” and health advocates ought to “lend their voice” to the discussion that will take place at the United Nations climate change summit in Paris in December, the World Health Organization said Nov. 17.
The UN summit, where delegates from around the world hope to achieve the first global agreement to fight climate change, could “protect the health of current and future generations,” WHO said in astatement. A Paris agreement “has the potential to save lives worldwide,” the organization said.
Climate change causes “tens of thousands of deaths every year,” due to shifting disease patterns; extreme weather events; and the degradation of air quality, food and water supplies, and sanitation, WHO said.
“WHO considers the Paris treaty to be a significant public health treaty,” the organization said in a statement from its headquarters in Geneva.
The 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-21) runs from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. Leaders from almost 200 countries will aim to reach an agreement to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. (18 TEALERT 14, 11/6/15)(46 ER 3364, 11/6/15)(38 INER 1530, 11/4/15).
In October, WHO laid out a set of recommendations for policy-makers looking to reduce emissions of short-lived pollutants that contribute to climate change. Among them: toughening standards on vehicle emissions; encouraging public transit, biking and walking; and providing clean, efficient fuels to populations that rely on wood, dung and other solid fuels for heating and cooking (38 INER 1539, 11/4/15)(See previous story, 10/23/15)(205 DEN A-5, 10/23/15)(18 TEALERT 4, 10/23/15)(204 ECR 204, 10/22/15).
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