Patrick Jowett
Pexapark says European developers signed 21 PPAs for 916 MW in January
Pexapark, a Swiss consulting firm, says the new year started with “robust activity” for power purchase agreements (PPAs). It says that lower power and commodity prices drove a 12.8% month-on-month decline in all tracked PPA prices.
German consultancy finalizes feasibility stage of Ugandan floating PV project
A consortium involving 8.2 Renewable Energy Experts Hamburg and its partners has completed a feasibility assessment for a floating PV system on four reservoirs of different hydropower plants in Uganda.
Alberta lifts moratorium on renewable energy projects
The government of the Canadian province of Alberta has announced plans to ban new renewables projects on high-quality agricultural land and within a 35 km radius of areas with pristine views, following a nearly seven-month pause on approvals for such installations.
Rolls-Royce to supply 160 MWh of battery storage to Latvian grid operator
The two grid-scale battery energy storage systems will be connected in autumn 2025, aiding Latvia’s synchronization with the continental European power grid.
Sunova Solar announces 9 GW cell factory in China
Sunova Solar’s new cell manufacturing facility produces 182 mm, 199 mm and 210 mm TOPCon cells. At full capacity, the facility is expected to produce approximately 36,000 high-efficiency modules per day.
Utility-scale PV cheapest power source in Asia Pacific, says WoodMac
Wood Mackenzie says the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) in the Asia-Pacific region hit an all-time low in 2023, as utility-scale PV beat coal to become the cheapest power source. It predicts a further drop in costs for new-build solar projects, driven by falling module prices and oversupply from China.
BayWa, Ampt add solar to wind-flow battery project without own inverters
BayWa re and Ampt, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT), have developed an innovative and technically challenging hybrid system featuring 690 kWp of rooftop and ground-mounted PV, a 2 MW wind turbine, and a 10 MWh flow-battery energy storage system.
Polysilicon shipments into China fall to lowest level since 2011
Bernreuter Research says the volume of polysilicon shipments into China dropped 28.5% year on year in 2023 to the lowest level since 2011. It predicts that imports could fall by another 40% this year.
Indonesian government abolishes net metering
The Indonesian government has ended net metering for rooftop solar installations. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform says this could make it harder for the country to meet its solar deployment targets, as PV installations will become more expensive for households and small businesses.
EDP Renewables wins Singapore’s largest public solar tender
EDP Renewables has won Phase 8 of Singapore’s SolarNova program, the country’s largest public solar tender to date. The developer will install up to 200 MWp of rooftop PV capacity.
