Patrick Jowett
European Commission opens consultation into non-price criteria for auctions
The European Commission is inviting the public to comment on how non-price criteria are specified in future renewable energy auctions. The call for feedback is open until Feb. 21, 2025.
China installed 8 GW of solar in ‘Belt and Road’ countries in 2024
Wood Mackenzie says Chinese companies installed 24 GW of power projects throughout the world under China’s “Belt and Road” development initiative in 2024. This marked a record for a calendar year, with solar projects accounting for about one-third of the newly installed capacity.
Poland deploys 4 GW of PV in 2024
Poland’s Institute for Renewable Energy says the country’s combined solar capacity nearly reached 20.7 GW by the end of November 2024, putting it on track to hit 21 GW by year-end. The institute’s analysis indicates utility-scale projects are driving Poland’s solar expansion and will continue to do so.
IEA-PVPS updates guidance on integration studies for hybrid wind-PV
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems (IEA-PVPS) and Wind Energy Systems (IEA Wind) programs have released updated guidance on how to conduct system impact studies in power systems with high shares of solar and wind energy.
Scandinavia’s largest rooftop PV plant goes online
Scandinavia’s largest rooftop PV plant, a 14 MW array in Landskrona, Sweden, has gone online. The system, consisting of 24,000 JinkoSolar modules, was installed on a warehouse roof by Danish transport company DSV.
Higher demand, gas prices drive up European electricity prices
Average weekly electricity prices surpassed €130 ($135.12)/MWh in most major European markets during the third week of January as electricity demand and gas prices rose and wind energy production fell, according to AleaSoft Energy Forecasting.
Pexapark records 27 European PPAs for 2.09 GW in December
Pexapark, a Swiss renewables intelligence provider, says December was the second-most successful month for power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Europe in 2024, in terms of total signed capacity.
Solargis updates software for PV project design, evaluation
Slovakia-based solar data provider Solargis has released the next generation of its Evaluate software. Evaluate 2.0 features high-resolution solar and meteorological data, a 3D PV power plant designer, a PV components catalog and energy yield simulations.
Wood Mackenzie predicts solar growth will stagnate in 2025
Wood Mackenzie’s latest report forecasts that 493 GW (DC) of solar will be added throughout the world this year, compared to 495 GW in 2024. Solar module prices are expected to rise this year as manufacturers aim to recover profit losses from the past two years.
JinkoSolar’s TOPCon modules offer 8.82% yield gain in Japan field test
JinkoSolar’s latest n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) modules delivered higher energy yield per watt than a competitor’s n-type back contact (BC) modules in a three-month field test in Kagoshima, Japan, under varying irradiance levels.
