Highlights

A team from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed a novel microscopic technique, which enables them to observe degradation in perovskite materials at the nano-scale, and pinpoint key areas for attention in their efforts to improve the stability and durability of the material.

In an interview with Reuters, the president slammed what he referred to as the dumping of inexpensive modules on the U.S. market.

This week’s World Future Energy Summit (WFES) saw a letter of intent inked at the International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) pavilion to secure financing of up to US$5 billion with India’s YES Bank by 2030. The organization also signed deals for nine solar projects across five ISA member countries, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India and Spain.

The Taiwanese Government is set to invest in the United Renewable Energy Company (UREC), which is expected to be officially formed in Q3 2018 by solar cell makers, Neo Solar Power (NSP), Gintech Energy and Solartech Energy. The new company will shift focus from cell manufacturing to downstream solar PV.

Shell Energy Europe Ltd has signed a five year power purchase agreement (PPA) with British Solar renewables (BSR), for the off-take of energy from England’s largest solar PV power plant.

In another attempt at cracking the perovskite stability problem, scientists from China’s Liaocheng University and Hefei University of Technology have developed a new gas-solid process for the creation of perovskite thin films, which they say can lead to improved stability and response time.

The European Parliament has approved a proposal to raise the target submitted by its Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) in late November.

The Saudi Arabian power firm announces details of pilot project that will utilize Huawei’s FusionSolar control and monitoring system to enhance a fleet of PV plants.

BNEF has released its top 10 clean energy predictions for 2018, including at least 107 GW of solar PV installs. China will lead, but Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East will notably up the ante. India will install less RE than in 2017, but will see fossils outpace RE for the last time; and China will see distributed grid connected solar leading the market. Li-ion prices are also declining, while EV sales grow.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development drastically increased its climate financing last year, with the €4.1 billion invested in the green economy representing 43% of the bank’s entire activity last year.