Markets

The process could one day play a key role in fighting climate change. The engineers have also provided design principles to help the photovoltaic industry build energy-efficient, corrosion-protected solar cells for other purposes.

The 16th Forum Solarpraxis kicked off in the German capital this week showcasing international developments in technology and policy and offering market assessments from industry reps. Developments in Germany and the U.K. could have far-reaching impacts for the European solar industry.

Entergy Louisiana reports that it has exceeded a cap on net metered solar, and will halt the program. This will sharply impact the 10th-largest residential market in the United States.

A proposed deal with a new 100 MW solar project will enable Las Vegas to be the largest U.S. municipality to source 100% of its electricity from renewable energy.

David Cameron’s government is aiming to make the U.K. a leader in nuclear reactor technology while spending billions on cleaning up ageing nuclear sites. While eliminating environmental tariffs for big industry, it’s also boosting its innovation program, which could benefit renewable energy.

The Inter-American Development Bank is facilitating up to $450 million in financing to underwrite energy efficiency projects in several Latin American countries.

The renewable energy organization’s latest report outlines actions that can limit the global temperature increase to below 2 degrees Celsius by accelerating the transition to renewable energy.

The 16th Forum Solarpraxis kicked off today with the good news that German storage subsidies are likely to continue for the next three years. A parliamentary committee is currently discussing the issue. As of 2017, meanwhile, 5% of tendered projects under the EEG will be opened to electricity from abroad. New energy business models and legal frameworks were also discussed, as was how storage knowledge can be transferred from the auto industry to solar.

Solar PV power has increased tenfold over the past four years, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2015 Quadrennial Technology Review.

“In just four years, thanks to falling renewable energy technology costs, economic potential has more than tripled,” the National Renewable Energy Laboratory says.