VDMA: solar equipment orders increase 328% in Q1
A report published by German engineering federation VDMA reveals strong demand for solar production equipment, with order intake in the first quarter of 2017 tripling over the previous quarter. The book to bill ratio of orders to delivered systems hit the ‘very high’ level of 4.4 for the first quarter of 2017
Italy’s CESI helps Bahrain implement solar program
The Italian company will provide technical assistance for the implementation of a net metering scheme for decentralized renewable and solar energy projects under Bahrain’s National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP).
Community solar may push Finnish PV market forward
In 2016, the North European country saw the addition of 19 MW of new PV systems. As the Finnish economy seems now to be reviving after several years of stagnation, solar (and especially community solar) may become even more interesting for homeowners and businesses.
U.S. court upholds strict scope for duties on Chinese, Taiwanese imports
A pair of court rulings has shot down challenges by a range of solar manufacturers related to the details of 2014 import duties on solar products from China and Taiwan.
Neoen signs PPA for 100 MW in Australia
French power producer Neoen has agreed to provide electricity to EnergyAustralia from 100 MW of solar capacity it plans to build in New South Wales. The two companies did not disclose the terms of the deal.
Spain’s Balearic Islands fast-track 20 MW solar project
The Sa Caseta PV plant has received the status of public utility project from the archipelago’s Directorate for Energy and Climate Change.
Belgian region of Flanders plans fiscal incentive for community solar and wind projects
The Minister of Energy of the Flanders hopes that another 6.4 million solar modules can be installed in the region under his mandate until 2020.
Industry reaction: proposed EU solar pricing allows for better enforcement, says EU Prosun
Milan Nitzschke, president of solar manufacturing trade body EU Prosun, believes that the new proposals for MIP by the European Commission’s DG Trade offer a more accurate means of imposing necessary trade tariffs on imported solar cells and modules.
Sparx completes 13 MW near Tokyo
Sparx Green Energy and Technology — a unit of Tokyo-based asset manager Sparx — has switched on a 12.8 MW solar project in eastern Japan. It claims that the installation — which stretches roughly 10 kilometres between Shiroi and Inzai, Chiba prefecture — is the “longest” PV project in Japan.
Solar Philippines to build 1 GW by 2018
Solar Philippines plans to finish building 1 GW of solar by next year, with roughly half of that capacity to be constructed outside of the Philippines.
