UK: London backs solar with funding for 1 GW PV scheme
London has launched a £34 million Energy for Londoners scheme, which includes goal of generating 1 GW of energy from solar by 2030. Shirley Rodrigues, deputy mayor for the environment and energy, presented parts of London’s energy vision this week at the Energy Storage Connected Systems conference.
US installs nearly 4 GW of solar in Q4 2017
GTM Research has given its preliminary estimate for installations over the full year 2017 at 11.8 GW, a 22% decline from 2016 levels.
Daqo polysilicon order book reaches 90.2% on Chinese demand
The Chinese polysilicon supplier reveals that its order book is 90.2% filled as of the end of January, in response to surging demand among Chinese solar firms.
Solar tender launched for up to 40 MW in Malawi
The 40 MW project is part of a 70 MW solar plan launched by local utility, Escom in February to reduce chronic power shortages.
ACWA wins Saudi Arabia’s 300 MW solar tender
The Saudi energy company submitted the second lowest bid, an LCOE of 0.08872 SAR ($0.0236) per kWh, while the excluded competitor, a consortium led by Japan’s Marubeni, had offered 0.09976 SAR ($0.0266) per kWh.
Belgian solar market grew by 50% in 2017
While new PV additions in 2017 totaling 264 MW, the country’s cumulative PV capacity had reached 3.8 GW. The market’s main driver remains residential PV.
Chile’s PV capacity surpasses 2 GW
Although official statistics report that grid-connected PV capacity reached 1.82 GW as of the end of December 2017, the completion of two large-scale projects totaling 215 MW in early January has raised Chile’s total installed power to around 2.04 GW.
Lebanon to launch 360 MW solar tender
The new tender will be issued as soon as the ongoing tender for 180 MW of solar projects has concluded. The new round will select another 24 large-scale solar projects, and will be open to bidders that failed to qualify for Round 1.
Brazil: DGPV system prices keep falling
According to a new report published by the consultancy Greener, PV system prices for distributed generation projects fell by 24% last year in Brazil. Total turnover of DG solar, meanwhile, was R $1.47 billion (approximately US$462 million). In other news, the country has joined IRENA.
Slovak homeowners want more solar and storage
In the first 2018 round for solar rebates, funds were allocated in just nine minutes. More than two thirds of the selected projects included a storage solution.
