l'Actualité du Solaire

All these providers use more or less the same marketing methods, which often amount to deceptive and unfair practices. It usually starts with telephone canvassing, where the telemarketer insists on making an appointment with the prospect. The salesperson then deploys all his or her talents, from dreamy profitability calculations to impressive promises of return, the assurance of receiving assistance or high income. Obviously, this is unrealistic, but the household is won over immediately. He signs.

Once he has come to his senses, cancelling the order is not so simple. Cancellation slips may be missing, or contracts may be backdated. And this is often the moment when he discovers that he has taken out a loan, which the salesman was careful not to tell him about.

Below is the list of companies that cause the most disputes in the field of energy renovation, drawn up by Que Choisir?

TECHNITOIT

GROUP SOLAR

ECONOMIC OBJECTIVE

FUTURE ENERGY (MEDIA SYSTEM)

SIBEL ENERGIE (NJCE)

ENVIRONMENT (HD ENERGY PRODUCTION)

FRANCE PAC ENVIRONNEMENT

BT CONCEPT-ECO

FRENCH AGENCY FOR ENERGY TRANSITION (AFTE)

ECO-ENERGY SOLUTION (SOLECO)

SVH ENERGY

SWEETCOM

CAP SUN ENERGY

EUROPE ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL

ECO GROUPING

Tecsol of March 26th

Total had budgeted $60 a barrel for oil. If prices were to remain at $35 for the rest of the year, the company would lose $9 billion, the CEO said. At the time, Brent crude was trading at $25, after spending the best part of a week below $30. To make up for the foreseeable loss, Total will reduce its annual spending by 20%. However, it seems that Total's commitment to the energy transition will not be immediately affected, because according to the CEO, "Total's "new energy" activities will benefit from a reduction in the cost of energy production.Thus, Total continues to deploy a major expansion of energy storage manufacturing through its subsidiary Saft, in partnership with the car manufacturer Opel.»

Total is preparing to produce energy storage batteries via its Saft subsidiary, in partnership with the car manufacturer PSA.

GreenTech Media of March 23rd

EBITDA margin (ebitda) stood at 85% of consolidated sales, compared with 80% in 2018. At the end of 2019, the company had cash and cash equivalents of €460 million.

460 million in 2020, Neoen expects to achieve EBITDA of between €270m and €300m at constant exchange rates (+25% to +40% over 2019), i.e. a margin of around 80%.

For the end of 2021, the group confirms its target of 5 GW in operation or under construction. The €400m Ebitda is unlikely to be achieved due to the Coronavirus epidemic, which is delaying the launch of certain projects.

By the end of 2022, in three years, the facilities in operation will exceed 5 GW (compared with 1.8 GW at the end of 2019, i.e. a near tripling) and will exceed €400m in EBITDA (i.e. a doubling).

The company of 25 March

The company has a cash position of €270 million at the end of 2019, after the €376 million capital increase in July 2019.

The group :

The sale of energy :the services :

The 2020 ambitions are maintained despite a less stable environment due to the coronavirus. The capacity in operation at the end of February is 717 MW; 357 MW should be completed by the end of 2020. The objective of 1 GW in 2020 is maintained. To this will be added 0.5 to 1 GW of activity under management. As a result, EBITDA (ebitda) of €65 million should reach €160 to 180 million by the end of 2020 (including €111 million from the portfolio in operation). Growth will rise from 146% to 177% in one year. These are the forecasts, but the coronavirus could delay the supply of components and therefore the completion of construction.

The company plans to double assets in operation or under construction by the end of 2023, from 1.22 GW at the end of February 2019 to 2.6 GW, i.e. in four years. There should be no capital increase between now and the second half of 2021. EBITDA is expected to reach €275 to 300 million (+70% by the end of 2020) in three years.

The company of 23 March

In the area of storage, RES obtained its first authorisation for the installation of a battery energy storage plant in 2019. The company was also named winner of RTE's long-term call for tenders for the contracting of new capacity for two energy storage plant projects of 30 MW each.

RES was awarded the management delegation for two non-developed parks, bringing the portfolio under management to 700 MW of wind and solar power. RES's ambition is to triple its turnover from this activity over the next three years.

Plein Soleil on 24 March

* RGreen Invest's point of view on the current crisis

RGreen Invest's activity consists in financing or investing in green electricity production projects. A large majority of the projects have fixed price conditions and guaranteed volumes, even in the event of a drop in market electricity prices.

The current crisis is unprecedented but RGreen believes that it will not upset the fundamentals of its sector: long-term investments in essential infrastructure that will become even more essential.

We can try to anticipate some consequences for this sector. The serious sanitary crisis and the confinement will lead to a brutal drop in economic activity. The impact will be all the more important as the economic systems are already significantly indebted:

- The collapse of oil prices is probably temporary. We believe that the general deployment of capital towards decarbonised industry will accelerate. This effect will be increased by the consequences of social change, on mobility, working methods, location and dependence on productive tools.

- The falling demand for electricity has logically resulted in a fall in spot prices on all European markets over the last few months. We believe that the level of spot electricity prices will recover fairly quickly to pre-crisis levels. We will continue to maintain our preference for projects benefiting from fixed and guaranteed electricity sales contracts and to be vigilant in terms of the exposure of our portfolios to market prices.

- Market players: a°) Manufacturers, builders and operators will suffer from a delay in activity. Some players, notably wind or solar manufacturers, may need to be consolidated. b°) Developers will face a drop in activity and probably revise their selling price requirements downwards. RGreen will pay attention to the investment opportunities likely to emerge in the short term, due to the anticipated lack of liquidity.

- The financial aspect: there is the setting up of mechanisms to maintain liquidity with monetary and fiscal stimulus. Key interest rates are likely to remain at their historical lows for quite some time. However, it cannot be excluded that a reduction in commercial banks' liquidity will lead to an increased focus on their strategic clients and an increase in trading margins. Interest rate hedging strategies for our investments will always be systematically favoured. We give ourselves the right to revise our inflation forecasts in the coming months. It is not impossible that in this new market we may be able to increase our margin requirements.

The power stations in operation are running and producing green electricity. Projects under construction are likely to suffer from (1) delays in implementation due to delays in the delivery of panels or wind turbine components and (2) the halting of construction sites (precautionary principle). The regulatory authorities have already warned that force majeure would be used to effect implementation delays without penalty. At the same time, we note a desire on the part of the French government to encourage the resumption of work on building sites. »

PV Magazine of 27 March
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THE SUBSIDIARY

* The epidemic affects the renewable energy market

The demand for solar and wind power has been the driving force behind a strong push in the renewable energy market. It has been stimulated by federal tax credits. It is hoped that the factors that have stimulated RE will continue, such as cheap solar and wind energy, volatility in the fossil fuel market, and customer, investor and employee demand for decarbonisation.

Even if these factors remain, a recession would reduce demand (it has fallen by 25% in Germany). Added to this would be the lack of solvency of companies, and of course increased competition from fossil fuels after their prices have fallen.

For the time being, electricity companies are indeed seeing a reduction in demand. Observers are monitoring demand trends in Texas to gauge what a collapse in oil prices will cause. Electricity demand may rebound quickly after the end of the epidemic, or the crisis may have had a lingering effect.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/its-like-a-snow-day-every-day-coronavirus-threatens-commercial-renewables-demand

GreenTech Media of 25 March

Part 2

The coronavirus stops the European market for energy supply contracts, according to the director general of the Spanish company AleaSoft

This epidemic has the effect of stopping all funding of unsubsidised solar projects until reliable price forecasts can be made. This is because the price of electricity can fluctuate and not remain high all the time. Moreover, the immediate consequence for the non-subsidised secondary market is a fall in the price of power plants, due to lower spot and forward energy prices.

The market is characterised by a drop in demand for electricity and a collapse in fuel prices. Large energy consumers could buy projects or power plants while this discourages investors and producers.

The riskiest PV projects are those with a short-term vision and those whose developers have difficulty finding financing. Projects left without financing will eventually be sold. "Large investment funds are preparing to enter the PV sector to buy cheaply," because they can afford it.

"This crisis will benefit from bank liquidity, which is a big difference from the 2008 crisis.

PV Magazine of 26 March

Automotive and solar + storage customers may experience delays in the supply of battery cells from China, which produces 70% of the world's capacity. There would only be a delay in the availability of the finished product. On the other hand, the drop in demand represents the greatest threat to the storage industry, as the absence of new battery orders would cause manufacturers to under-activity. Large inventories can also drive down the prices of stationary batteries.

The quarantining of the population will disrupt the solar + storage facilities, as households will face uncertainty about their income. Residential storage facilities in the second quarter of 2020 are expected to decline by 10% to 15% according to IHS Markit. This will affect businesses: commercial and industrial investments in energy storage are expected to suffer.

Grid storage is likely to be the least affected by the current crisis. Investments are expected to continue, sometimes with delays. If the epidemic cannot be stopped, the consequences could be more serious.

In the solar industry, as with energy storage, lower demand is likely to be more costly in the long term than supply problems. The production of panels and inverters is expected to be lower than forecast for 2020, due to the interruption of the epidemic in the first half of the year. However, it is the drop in demand following the virus in Europe, the United States and India that is of greater concern.

"While manufacturing has gradually returned, international demand has stalled alarmingly," said IHS Markit. "The industry fervently hopes that this is due to practical constraints caused by logistical problems and labour shortages, rather than a longer-term pattern".

PV Magazine of 25 March
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THE WORLD

* Is the epidemic threatening solar installations in Europe?

The example of Spain's 300 MW Talayuela power plant is instructive. This power plant has a purchase contract (PPA) covering 10 years and 75% of the production, with the rest to be sold on the market. The epidemic is slowing the pace of construction, but this is nothing compared to the 20-30 year lifespan of this plant. The client agreed to a delay of two months.

The industry is adapting to the travel ban and the requirement for distance between workers. The cost of the panels is falling as Chinese production lines are picking up speed, while there are fewer buyers.

The challenge of declining demand and electricity prices Spain installed 4.9 GW in 2019 and could install the same amount in 2020. The other European countries should all post good figures this year as well. A large proportion of solar projects in Europe are not subsidised and are the result of negotiations with buyers or market prices. Lower electricity prices in the short term make it harder to make the investment case. Buyers will always want a discount of 10-20% in purchase contracts on the price of electricity from the grid. Therefore, in the short term, there could be clauses in the contracts to take account of this short-term drop in prices. In the medium and long term, interest in solar energy without subsidies in Europe seems to persist. The investment bank Augusta & co believes that solar projects could shine in a weakened global economy. It argues that infrastructures that can offer long-term returns become more attractive in times of uncertainty. In previous economic downturns or shocks, there has been an increase in capital flows. That said, the bank recognises that downward pressure on electricity prices is making conditions more difficult for marginal, unsubsidised markets such as the UK. On the other hand, as in Spain, where solar prices are well below spot prices, investment will continue to look attractive.

"In the future, there will be far more capital wanting to invest in renewable energy in Europe than there are opportunities. For the past five to eight years it has been a seller's market. In countries like Spain there is more capital than projects. »

Foreign investors are arriving and increasing the interest of the oil companies, although the fall in oil prices is reducing their investment capacity.

"The level of uncertainty is extraordinary. The good news is that the promotion of energy transition - whether you do it for reasons of energy security or environmental security - continues to enjoy strong momentum. The momentum that has driven this industry in recent years is still very much in place.

GreenTech Media of March 27

* Panel production continues in most U.S. mills

The United States now has more reported cases of coronavirus than any other country in the world, with around 86,000 cases on Friday afternoon 27th and nearly 1,300 deaths.

GreenTech Media of March 27

* How Coronavirus affects the Brazilian photovoltaic sector

Above all, 50% of companies have already been affected by an increase in PV system costs due to the fall in the Brazilian currency in recent weeks. Around 49% of respondents expressed concern about the rising prices of PV systems.

Other concerns included logistical problems (23%), the availability of PV systems on the market (17%), grid connection problems (12%), powering of PV modules (11%) and powering of inverters (8%).

For large power plants, 60% of investors and developers were affected by an increase in the cost of equipment.

PV Magazine of 27 March
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THE PRODUCTS

* New technique to obtain lithium: filtration

They then used a synthetic membrane that mimics the filtration ion channels. It is tuned in size and chemistry to "ion selectivity", which means that lithium ions can be rapidly filtered in a unidirectional selective manner. This revolutionises the way in which lithium is extracted from brine. It takes several hours to filter, instead of months or years.

This method recovers 90% of the lithium instead of 30% with the current solar evaporation process.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/03/27/australian-researchers-make-lithium-extraction-breakthrough/

PV Magazine of 27 March
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The continued production of panels is essential for First Solar, which has refocused on manufacturing and is considering whether to discontinue or divest the power plant developer-builder business. The company wants to limit itself to delivering its panels to user-builders (EPCs).

GreenTech Media of 26 March

NDLR Producing is good because the order book is full. But you have to find buyers who have the use of the panels and the means to pay for them. What will happen to First Solar if the installation work stops? Will the company be able to persist in its line of development or will it have to change its forecasts?

Net profit came to $172 million (-28%).

Canadian Solar's pipeline was 15.4 GW as of January 31, 2020. This amount breaks down into order backlog (3.7 GW) and projects (11.6 GW). The vast majority of these projects are in the Americas, with a slight increase in the north.

In 2020, Canadian Solar will increase its production capacity for ingots to 2.3 GW (+27%), cells to 10.1 GW (+5%), and panels to 16 GW (+23%).

For 2020, panel shipments are expected to reach 10 GW to 12 GW (+16% to +40%), with a turnover of $3.4 to $3.9 billion (+6 to +25%).

PV Magazine of 27 March

The energy sector "will not be hit as hard as other industries, but it cannot hope to escape the crisis unscathed," said E.ON's CEO. Energy consumption by industry will be much lower. Its turnover will fall. This could cause some infrastructure projects to be postponed.

EDF has announced that its nuclear energy production forecasts will be revised downwards. As staff numbers and operations are limited by the country's strict traffic restrictions, EDF will be forced to revise its planned maintenance schedule and planned shutdowns.

In the UK, EDF's controversial nuclear project at Hinkley Point C has cut its construction staff by half. It is leaving 2,000 to complete work already underway.

One risk that could materialize is the delay of public tenders and labour shortages in the public agencies that administer them. "We remain dependent on public authorities to advance the authorization and consent of awarded projects and development sites, and to advance the development of regulatory frameworks, including tendering and auctions," Ørsted said.

As the virus proliferated for the first time in Europe, networks were soon limited to essential work. Smart metering installations were suspended. Declining energy demand is leading to an increasingly clear surplus of electricity in the short to medium term, and therefore to increasingly frequent negative prices.

GreenTech Media of March 25

The situation is different for projects and construction: Travel constraints and local regulations introduced in response to the pandemic have started to affect the construction, commissioning and testing of some of the new solar power plants. It is too early to specify the effect of these measures on construction completion dates. Deadlines are generally relaxed in Germany and France. The company is taking measures to protect staff, to limit the spread of the virus and to ensure the operation of the plants.

PV Magazine of 25 March
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The idea is to build large power plants with two tilts of panels. The resulting loss of energy production would be more than compensated for by a smaller row of panels and therefore lower land and labour costs. This solution is not suitable for all power plants.

Adjusting 40% of the panel rows in Ohio to a secondary tilt angle resulted in a 10% efficiency gain. In California, adjusting the tilt angle of 80% of the rows resulted in a 20% gain, but required significantly more on-site labour and therefore increased costs. It was in Ohio that the concept showed interest.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2020/03/24/a-dual-angle-approach-to-building-solar-plants-at-higher-latitudes/

PV Magazine of 24 March
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