U.S. residential solar market contracts 17% during Q1
According to the soon-to-be-released report from GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association, a severe contraction in California headlined the nationwide slide.
Oman to launch support scheme for small-sized PV
The Middle Eastern country is planning to support the installation of rooftop PV systems ranging in size from 2 kW to 4 kW. The support scheme will not be based on FITs or net metering, but on an “accelerated subsidy adjustment” mechanism.
Lyndon Rive to leave Tesla in June
The SolarCity founder says he is leaving to take time off and start a new venture, as Tesla’s solar sales volume contracts and the company shifts focus to profit and new products instead of growth.
Southern Company puts another 102 MW-AC of solar online in Texas
Southern’s Lamesa Solar Facility is the latest in a boom that is taking place across Texas, with over 1 GW-DC expected to come online this year.
Taiwan confirms plan to reach 20 GW of cumulative solar by 2025
Taiwan’s new solar energy strategy envisages the deployment of less than 200 MW of new PV capacity over the next two years, and the achievement of 6.5 GW of cumulative PV by 2020.
German solar sector wants removal of capacity cap for PV
After conducting a review of the results of Germany’s six auctions for large-scale PV, which have led to a very good price/performance ratio for solar power, the German solar association said there is no more reason to set growth limits for the development of PV.
Solar to attract more investment than coal, gas and nuclear combined this year, says Frost & Sullivan
Analysts expect global renewable power investment to reach $243bn this year, with solar PV the fastest-growing segment and non-hydro renewables to account for 65% of all global power investment by 2020.
Belgium: researchers say solar-plus-storage is far from becoming economically viable
According to a scientific paper from the Université libre de Bruxelles, even a further reduction in storage prices may not be sufficient to make solar-plus-storage attractive in the Belgian market.
French government publishes new FITs for rooftop PV installations up to 100 kW
Another decree issued by the French Ministry of the Environment, Energy and the Sea has set the new feed-in tariffs for residential and commercial PV projects up to 100 kW on the French mainland.
Germany: 96% of projects selected in first of six solar auctions is now online
Around 96% of the PV projects up to 10 MW selected in Germany’s first auction for large-scale solar has now been completed, according to the country’s grid regulator Bundesnetzagentur.
