EU Council emphasizes right of solar self-consumption under new climate target strategy
The EU Council has defined its negotiating strategy for the so-called winter package, with which the EU wants to reach its energy and climate targets. The representatives of member states accepted, inter alia, the right to self-generation and CO2 limits for power plants to be financed through capacity mechanisms.
Solar Frontier hits new thin film cell efficiency record
The Japanese thin film module manufacturer has announced the achievement of a new world record, having achieved a 22.9% conversion efficiency for a CIS cell measuring 1cm². The record has been verified by Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology.
Pakistan: 100 MW PV plant planned, on track for 1 GW installs
Zorlu Enerji is working on a 100 MW solar PV plant in Pakistan. It is slated to come online in the first half of 2018. Overall, Pakistan is on track to install more than 1 GW this year.
India drafts $1.7bn solar PV manufacturing scheme
India invites suggestions and feedback for its new solar PV manufacturing scheme, which aims to ramp up domestic manufacturing capacity of modules, cells, wafers and ingots, and polysilicon. The scheme is expected to be implemented at the beginning of 2018.
EIB partners with YES Bank to offer $400m funding boost to Indian renewables
Both the European Investment Bank and India’s YES Bank will provide $200 million investment to co-finance a series of solar and wind power projects across India.
Sierra Leone begins construction on its first solar park
The 6 MW Solar Park Freetown will be built with the support of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).
ETH Zürich demonstrates decentralized energy systems
Researchers at ETH Zürich have published a paper illustrating the potential for distributed energy systems with solar at their heart, as a replacement for the current centralized energy system.
Yingli posts $355 million net loss in Q3
Yingli Green Energy’s net loss widened to RMB 2.3 billion ($354.9 million) in the three months to the end of September, from just RMB 335.4 million a year earlier, as its PV module shipments fell roughly 48% from the preceding quarter to 597.7 MW.
AMP Capital invests €245 million for RE development in Neoen
The French independent power producer will use the funds for the development of 1.6 GW of wind and solar in France and Australia.
China to tackle curtailment with new PV monitoring system
China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) has revealed plans to monitor and evaluate PV projects to help channel investment into parts of the country where solar curtailment is less of a problem.
