Emiliano Bellini
Italy set to reach 400 MW of new PV capacity in 2017
New additions for the first 10 months of this year totaled 352 MW, representing 12% growth compared to the same period a year earlier, and enough solar to meet 8.7% of total power demand.
South Africa’s energy mix will be much cheaper with renewables, study says
According to a new study conducted by the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies at the Goethe-University Frankfurt, a mix of solar and wind may be over 10% cheaper than power generation from new coal and nuclear plants in South Africa, even if the cost of renewables and batteries will see no further reduction from today until 2050.
Brazil to hold another auction including solar in April
The new A-4 auction will be open to thermoelectric, wind, solar and hydro large-scale power projects, which must be operational from 2022.
US scientists use hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites to increase solar cell efficiency
Research funded by the US Department of Energy and conducted by the University of Virginia has demonstrated how the rotation of organic molecules in hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites may expand the lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers.
Curaçao and Dutch Caribbean launch tenders for two more solar projects
While Curaçao’s power utility Aqualectra seeks developers for a 10-15 MW solar park, Saba Electric Company, the energy provider of the Saba island, is tendering 1 MW of PV capacity combined with storage.
Italy: Solar prices on power exchange lower than reference price in 2016
According to a report from Italy’s GSE, solar power prices on the Italian wholesale electricity market last year were between 5% and 12% lower than the national reference price.
EkoRE plans 15 MW solar plant in Ukraine
The Turkish EPC contractor is also planning to install rooftop PV systems on several public buildings of the city of Ochakiv, where the solar park may be located.
UAE: Rooftop specialist Environmena acquired by UK investment firm
U.K. investment firm, Arjun Infrastructure Partners is expected to bring strategic support and access to capital to the UAE-based solar developer.
Argentina grants final approval for new distributed generation law
Under the new rules, which are expected to come into force in the first quarter of 2018, owners of residential and commercial PV systems will be allowed to sell excess power to the grid under a net metering mechanism.
Lithuania’s new energy strategy bets on wind and prosumers
Although the country’s new national energy independence strategy says wind will represent 65% of its total renewable energy share by 2050, the number of households that self-generate their power (predominantly from solar) is expected to increase from 34,000 in 2020, to 500,000 in 2030.
