Solar investors back Italy despite electricity price cap
With the Italian government temporarily limiting the returns available from solar plants on the wholesale energy market, Swiss investor SUSI Partners says the underlying strength of the country’s PV industry remains.
EU Chips Act proposed to address semiconductor shortages
The European Commission wants to introduce legislation to back semiconductor research and to address the immediate problem of supply chain bottlenecks by drumming up more than €43 billion, with member states and the private sector expected to contribute.
SolarPower Europe calls on Italy to abandon measure introduced to halt rocketing energy price
Mario Draghi’s administration has replaced market-driven electricity prices for the rest of the year and replaced them with tariffs based on historical averages. With solar plant operators among those affected, the European trade body for PV is not amused.
Nova Scotia blocks ‘solar tax’ proposal
Utility Nova Scotia Power wanted to impose a monthly charge on net-metered solar system owners which the Canadian Renewable Energy Association said could have doubled the payback period for household and commercial arrays.
Shell completes Powershop takeover despite widespread outrage
Shell has completed its acquisition of Powershop Australia. The takeover sparked a heated outcry when it was first announced in November.
Net metering would offer a solar rooftop alternative to uneconomic Kenyan utilities
Commercial and industrial clients across the continent are turning to solar amid fears ever more cash-strapped conventional electricity companies will be unable to invest in their creaking grids, an online event has heard.
EBRD and pensions investor announce €500m, five-year climate package
The ILX pension fund investor set up with the backing of German, Dutch and British public money has committed to join the EBRD in providing the finance for climate-related investment across the lender’s sphere of influence.
‘The technology and the capital are available, but the market simply lacks execution capacity’
1Komma5° has acquired a majority stake in Swedish solar installation provider Cellsolar AB. This is the sixth acquisition of the recently founded Cleantech startup which wants to open the installation sector for the capital market in order to allow rapid growth.
Cobalt-free, solid-state, lithium-ion battery plant opens in Silicon Valley
U.S-based solid-state battery start-up Sparks has opened a pilot plant for its patented lithium battery technology based on zero cobalt cathodes. The company wants to challenge China’s dominance in next-gen battery development.
Portuguese solar plants – tendered and merchant – remain in limbo
One of the first items in the in-tray of the country’s new Socialist Party government must be to unblock Portugal’s seemingly huge appetite for PPA-backed merchant solar sites and to deliver the PV projects which were tendered by the authorities, to global acclaim, in 2019 and 2020.
