Finland’s gold rush: navigating the solar landscape
In the land of a thousand lakes and long, harsh winters, a surprising gold rush is under way – not for precious metals but for sunlight. Finland, often associated with its stunning natural landscapes, has become an unlikely contender in the global renewable energy market, particularly in the realm of solar power.
BP to take full control of Lightsource BP
Energy giant BP announced today it would take full ownership of solar and wind energy developer Lightsource BP once a deal – pertaining to the purchase of the remaining renewables company’s shares BP does not own – goes through next year.
Clean Energy Council notes decline in Australian renewable energy investment
Investment in Australia’s renewable energy sector is more than 10 times lower than what it should be to reach 2030 targets, according to a new report by the Clean Energy Council.
DIF Capital Partners to acquire 60% stake in Dutch solar developer Novar
Dutch fund manager DIF Capital Partners has signed an agreement to purchase a majority of Dutch solar project developer Novar for an undisclosed sum.
Message framing techniques to boost solar sales
A Dutch-German research team has tested how a series of framed messages may be used to boost PV system sales, addressing both self-interest and environmental concerns, and has found that all the proposed messages are effective at promoting the purchase of solar panel installations.
Weekend Read: Consolidating growth in Africa
Across Africa, rooftop solar is stepping in to fill the void as fears of non-payment and inflation-reduced donor funding dampen enthusiasm for big solar. Commercial and industrial (C&I) arrays are leading the charge, driving consolidation in markets overstocked with startup and mid-size installers.
Heraeus buys stake in French solar manufacturer HoloSolis
HoloSolis plans to build Europe’s largest PV factory – a 5 GW solar plant in France – by 2025. Heraeus will provide its latest metallization technologies for the factory and play an active role on the HoloSolis board of directors.
French startup Ensol creates platform to speed up residential PV deployment
Ensol, a French startup serving the residential PV and home energy solution market, has raised €3 million in venture capital from Paris-based investors, Otium Capital, a fund that backs early-stage companies, and BetterAngle, a business angel group.
Israel’s Teralight to buy 16.5 MW rooftop PV portfolio
Israeli developer Teralight says it is buying 16.5 MW of solar projects for ILS 25 million ($6.4 million) from gas supplier Electra Power. It expects to generate ILS 320 million of income over the lifetime of the projects.
Hering Group moves into organic PV film manufacturing
Hering Group, a centuries-old German construction and engineering company, says it has acquired the PV manufacturing facilities of organic solar film developer Asca, based in Kitzingen, Germany. The previous owners of the facilities describe Asca as a “largely loss-making” venture lacking in sales.
