Germany installed 2 GW of solar in six months
After a strong start to the year, demand for PV systems has slowed because of FIT reductions. Solar subsidies will fall by a further 1.4% per month until November.
SunPower’s slow climb towards the black
The high efficiency solar panel maker pulled off a rare profit in the second quarter due to selling off leases, but expects to report another quarterly loss in its next update.
Greenrock Energy to build 300 MW of solar plant capacity in Italy
The German company has already secured project rights for PV projects with 200 MW of generation capacity. Another 100 MW should follow this month.
Wacker’s results affected by low polysilicon prices
The Munich company hopes the PV market will pick up in the second half, driven by demand in China. Wacker Chemie also expects rising prices for polysilicon.
Orange Jordan adds 37 MW of solar under ‘wheeling’ scheme
With grid capacity a limiting factor, the Middle Eastern country has moved to foster private-to-private solar projects to meet industrial power demand.
Utility scale, rather than behind-the-meter batteries will drive energy storage take-up – Bloomberg u-turn
The analyst has published its latest Energy Storage Outlook report and says large scale deployment will provide the majority of the 1,095 GW/2,850 GWh of battery storage worldwide in 2040, with prices driven down further by grid services demand and EVs.
Microsoft is on a solar shopping spree
The tech giant has signed a power contract for the output of First Solar’s 150 MWac Sun Streams 2 solar plant, bringing its procurement of solar to almost 500 MW – but none of its PV projects have been completed yet.
National program to drive virtual power plant participation in Australia
The scheme will test the potential of distributed energy resources such as rooftop systems, battery storage and controllable load devices aggregated into VPPs to provide scalable energy and network services traditionally performed by large scale, conventional electricity generators. With registration open, the Australian Energy Market Operator wants VPPs to register to accelerate shared learning.
UK developer confirms no new large scale projects any time soon
Foresight Solar and Infrastructure has celebrated encouraging returns from nine months of activity but that is down to acquiring existing solar assets with the nation’s ground mount sector in the doldrums since public subsidies were halted in April 2017.
Italian developer Limes moves into Chilean market
With a 300 MW pipeline in the country that could potentially double in the near future, the Milanese business says Chile’s carbon-neutral ambition will maintain a strong market for solar.
