Con Edison states that it has become the number two solar power generator in North America with the finalization of its Sempra purchase which included 980 MWac of operating solar.

All round, it has been an interesting week for the U.K. to say the least, and the energy sector was no exception. In addition to the country’s All-Party Parliamentary Group for Renewable and Sustainable Energy (PRASEG) organizing a debate on the Capacity Market; a forum in London discussed grid operator’s flexibility; and a new report was released claiming a hard Brexit would add millions to consumer electricity bills.

It was EPIA when he joined, and the European and global solar industry was a very different place. Outgoing CEO of what is now SolarPower Europe, James Watson has presided over a transformative period at the organisation, and departs to head up Eurogas right at the point the region’s solar sector is set for revival. Advancing a power-to-gas agenda, Watson says, will be a big part of his new challenge.

Six lawsuits have been filed against Sunowe employees accused of evading €20 million of European anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs. The case, now dubbed the “Solar module Cartel”, also involved the deputy district administrator of Erlangen-Höchstadt.

A new era in the Chinese energy transition is on the menu and renewables are the order of the day, according to the latest China Renewable Energy Outlook (CREO). China will not require a gas bridge between coal and renewables, it finds, adding that renewables will become the core of the nation’s energy system by 2050, with annual PV installs of between 80-160 GW possible. Not only that, but electricity supply could be cheaper in this future than it is today.

Zola Electric has received financial backing worth $32.5 million from social investment firm Symbiotics and the Dutch development bank FMO. The lending facility will be used to grow Zola’s operations in Tanzania over the following five years.

The figure released by German industry associations BDEW and ZSW shows that no technology has grown as much as solar PV. Indeed, they say production increased 18% year-on-year. Overall, wind energy remains the largest producer of renewables, with annual growth of 7% over 2017.

Wood Mackenzie and SEIA’s latest Solar Market Insight report shows a big fall in utility-scale project completions from July through the end of September, but the promise of a massive fourth quarter.

The French renewable energy fair confirmed the central role of solar in the country’s energy transition. Despite the current difficult political situation, the event attracted more visitor and exhibitor numbers than ever. Read on to discover the four key takeaways from this year’s EnerGaïa.

In light of the massive Renewable Energy Development Fund deficit, China is looking for new ways to support the further deployment of renewables. German Energy Agency, Dena has prepared a new report, detailing how the country can move away from FITs to a more sustainable financing framework. Overall, it points to the increasing importance of auctions; and discusses how the right policy design can improve the cost competitiveness of renewable energies.