Installations

The global PV market will probably grow by as much as 25% in 2019, after sagging to a double-digit rate of expansion last year, with annual capacity additions likely to hit 129 GW, IHS Markit says in a new report.

The fifth round (Ronda 4) of the RenovAr program for large-scale solar and renewables will be held by the end of the year, according to the Argentinean Minister of Renewable Energy, Sebastián Kind. The procurement exercise will also include grid infrastructure projects.

Panda Green Energy has posted a loss of CNY 454 million ($67.6 million) for 2018, mere weeks before it starts to face deadlines to pay off a hefty amount of outstanding debt. By the end of December, the group’s current liabilities exceeded its current assets by about CNY 928 million.

Sharp has released three new high-efficiency mono-PERC solar panels. Ranging from 300 W to 370 W, the five-busbar modules are designed for use in a range of applications, from residential PV projects to large commercial installations.

The northern European country’s cumulative installed solar capacity reached 411 MW at the end of 2018. Around 10,000 new PV systems were deployed in total last year.

India’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector is expected to make a significant contribution to the country’s rooftop PV target of 40 GW by 2022. However, a range of issues — including low public awareness, the scarcity of low-cost financing and the need for rooftop aggregation models — must be addressed before rooftop solar can be aggressively scaled up, according to a new report from Deloitte and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

The Dutch banking group will serve as sole mandated lead arranger for the S$50 million ($36.98 million) loan. A unit of Singapore-based developer Sunseap will use the funds to build a 50 MW portfolio of rooftop PV projects.

U.K.-based Foresight will sell electricity from two 5 MW solar plants near Toledo to a unit of French steel manufacturer ArcelorMittal. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is seeking proposals for two IPP solar projects with capacities of 7 MW and 3.5 MW, with the larger plant to host some storage capacity. The projects will be awarded PPAs with the Gambia National Water & Electricity Company (NAWEC).

Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments (REIL) has invited bids to set up 1.7 MW (AC) of grid-connected PV projects with battery storage in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The projects — to be implemented on a turnkey basis on Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) — will be awarded through competitive bids, followed by a reverse auction.