China H1 solar panel production surges 25% in a year
Data from the China Photovoltaic Industry Association (CPIA) reveals a 25.9% rise in solar module production over the first six months of the year, reaching 34 GW. Q2 utilization rates stood at 85%, data shows.
UK to unveil £246m battery investment strategy
Business and energy secretary Greg Clark to announce on Monday focused strategy designed to modernize the U.K.’s energy sector and bring more renewables into the fold via sustained support for storage technology.
Industry reaction: proposed EU solar pricing allows for better enforcement, says EU Prosun
Milan Nitzschke, president of solar manufacturing trade body EU Prosun, believes that the new proposals for MIP by the European Commission’s DG Trade offer a more accurate means of imposing necessary trade tariffs on imported solar cells and modules.
India’s SECI cancels 950 MW of solar tenders, seeks re-tender at lower rate
The Solar Energy Corporation of India has scrapped large amounts of solar+storage tenders at both the Pavagada and Kadapa solar parks as it seeks to renegotiate with states for lower tariffs.
Ireland’s mitigation plan outlines incremental and permanent decarbonization steps
200-page plan proffers detailed breakdown of Ireland’s pathway towards decarbonization and greater energy efficiency by 2050. Key tenet is transition from centralized, fossil-fuel based electricity system to a low carbon power system. Green campaigners criticize plan’s lack of ambition.
New EU solar pricing proposal ‘divorces prices from reality’, says SolarPower Europe
Intended update for MIP by the European Commission’s DG Trade will set a pricing schedule for panels and cells on the European market that does not reflect market realities, trade body argues.
Coal provided just 2% of UK power in H1 2017
Just five years after meeting 40% of U.K.’s electricity supply, data from Imperial College London shows that coal only met 2% of the country’s power needs in the first half of the year.
Australia becomes 35th member of International Solar Alliance
Launched in Paris during the COP21 summit, the International Solar Alliance, spearheaded by India and France, has this week welcomed Australia to the fold.
Hive Energy’s subsidy-free 40 MW UK solar plant gets approval
The British solar developer confirms that its proposed 40 MW solar farm in Hampshire, southern England, will be commissioned by early 2018 and built without the need for any form of subsidy or support from government.
Solarcentury to build EU, UNDP-backed 2.25 MW solar+storage mini-grids in Eritrea
The €5.7 million project is being part-financed by the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and the government of Eritrea to deliver solar electricity to up to 40,000 homes and businesses in the remotest parts of the country.
