Residential PV

The Spanish Cabinet has approved a royal decree, which introduces a package of urgent measures to boost the country’s energy transition. It includes the already announced elimination of the “sun tax”, and other important measures, such as compliance with renewable energy objectives, electric vehicle adoption, reduced electricity prices, a social bonus for heating, consumer protection measures, and the extension of an electric social bond.

A new report by Wood Mackenzie finds a surprising amount of potential demand flexibility in U.S. homes, which can make the job of integrating more solar and wind easier.

Looking at a scenario, in which the Spanish residential solar market is booming again, energy consultancy, ecoSynergies finds that the energy system could save billions, both in terms of CO2, and fuel and grid costs. Additionally, introducing the EU’s suggestion to fairly compensate prosumers for their surplus energy, would allow households to slash payback times for their solar systems by more than a half. In some cases, the amortization period could go down from 25 to seven years.

Lebanon’s International Beirut Energy Forum (IBEF) 2018, which took place last week in the country’s capital, saw the announcement of various solar tenders that depict the domestic PV sector’s take off.

Azure Power has announced the early closing of a financing deal worth INR 4 billion (around US$58 million) for a 100 MW solar plant in the Indian state of Karnataka; and INR 6 billion (around $88 million) for a 200 MW solar power plant in Rajasthan. It also signed 415 rooftop solar PPAs in Madhya Pradesh.

The Government of Alberta has opened Requests for Proposals (RfPs) for 135,000 MWh of solar – equivalent to around 55% of its annual electricity generation.

From January to September 2018, solar PV systems generated 36.8 TWh in Germany, which is 13% more than they did in the first nine months of the previous year.

Two major policy decisions in the United States have caused a temporary tax and stagnation in the residential solar industry, finds EnergySage’s Solar Marketplace Intel Report.

In the first eight months of 2018, newly installed PV capacity in Germany totaled almost 2 GW, and is already well above the previous year’s level. New residential and commercial PV systems, with a combined capacity of nearly 241 MW, have been reported to the Federal Network Agency. In October, solar incentives will drop by another 1%.

Final prices were 5% lower than in the previous tender of the same kind. Around 40% of the selected projects were submitted by agricultural enterprises.