Markets & Policy

Thirteen requests for regulatory authorization to develop and operate photovoltaic plants worth a total of 392.4 MW have been received last week, according to Brazil’s national electricity regulator.

Premium payments in the entire renewable energy sector in Spain were 19% higher than envisaged in the 2012 outlook, while the total compensation in the photovoltaic sector in 2012 was close to the original forecast.

Despite an 11.5% decrease in shipments in the first quarter of this year, the Chinese PV manufacturer exceeded its previous guidance of 410 MW to 430 MW.

The European Union looks set to meet business demands by revamping its energy and climate policy in order to lower the price of energy and boost employment and growth. Critics warn, however, that appeasing big industry could mean higher prices for private consumers.

Boston based analysts Lux Research has announced that the solar sector is on the recovery path, set to reach a worth of US$155 billion in 2018. The industry is expected to ramp up rapidly to 61.7 GW market size in 2018 after modest growth to 35 GW in 2013. This is according to the “most-likely scenario” put forth by the analysts. China is set to leapfrog to become the largest market.

REC recently announced it has reduced by 50% its debt maturing in the second quarter of 2014, worth US$ 206 million (NOK 1.2 billion).

In a legal win for Canadian Solar Inc., a Chinese court has dismissed a request by LDK Solar to enforce an arbitration award decision by a state trade arbitration commission amounting to CNY 248.9 million ($40.1 million, €31.5 million) in connection with a contract dispute between the two companies.

Centrosolar Group AG’s creditors have overwhelmingly agreed to swap outstanding debt from a €50 million bond for 5.5 million newly issued shares in the German PV company.

The Federation of German Industry (BDI) and the Federation of German Wholesale, Foreign Trade and Services (BGA) have warned of the loss of thousands of jobs in Germany if the EU Commission imposes anti-dumping duties on photovoltaic products imported from China, according to a local newspaper.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is one of the world’s largest energy consumers. In recent years, all American military branches have changed their focus from fossil fuels to renewable energies. According to a SEIA report released today, renewable energies can help cut war casualties and costs with solar energy.