London fund announces investment vehicle for new subsidy-free UK solar
NextEnergy Capital Group has secured a £100 million credit line from Spanish lender Santander as it aims to connect the U.K.’s largest solar plant to the grid this year.
Malta launches 15 MW solar tender
The government wants to procure several 1 MW-plus solar plants. The tender is the third of its kind, and part of the 50 MW incentive scheme the island’s government launched in November 2017.
Renewables can avoid crippling LNG and coal subsidy bill for Bangladesh
U.S. thinktank the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says the nation should reorder its power network to harness cheap, modular renewables after existing power station overcapacity was worsened by plunging electricity demand during the Covid-19 shutdown.
Norway deployed 51 MW of solar in 2019
The figure took the nation to a cumulative 120 MW at the end of the year, according to figures published by Norwegian solar industry organization the Solenergiklyngen. Around 2 MW of the capacity added in 2019 came in the form of off-grid projects.
Shuifa playing central role in bailing out distressed Chinese PV developers
The state-owned construction business which saved Singyes Solar with a US$200 million bail-out is now preparing to invest in a 75% stake in debt-saddled peer China Solar, whose shares have been unlisted since August 2013.
Solar arrays on wave energy generators, along with wind turbines
German startup Sinn Power has combined wave, wind and solar power to create what it claims is the world’s “first floating ocean hybrid platform.”
Schletter increases production capacity in China
The German mounting system maker has expanded its production capacity in Shanghai after opening a new, bigger fab in March.
JA Solar opens up on new 525 W+ module
The Chinese manufacturer has not revealed the price of its new ‘ultra-high power’ products, nor whether the power output claims associated with them have been independently verified, but claimed the 78-piece module in the series could generate ‘very close to 600 W.’
Romania re-introduces PPAs to attract investors
The Romanian government has decided to re-introduce directly negotiated Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to boost investment in its renewables sector, but only projects commissioned after June 1, 2020 will be eligible.
Used EV batteries for large scale solar energy storage
MIT scientists have suggested used electric vehicle batteries could offer a more viable business case than purpose-built systems for the storage of grid scale solar power in California. Such ‘second life’ EV batteries, may cost only 60% of their original purchase price to deploy and can be effectively aggregated for industrial scale storage even if they have declined to 80% of their original capacity.
