Policy

According to figures from solar association ABSolar, most of the installed capacity – 371.9 MW – was installed in 2018. Commercial PV dominates with 43.2% as cheaper modules and higher electricity tariffs, combined with an extensive net metering regime, continue to fuel installation rates.

Mercom Capital’s latest report on financial activity in the solar sector illustrates an increasing flow of capital towards downstream companies and PV projects – as well as a split between China and the rest of the world.

A competition backed by public funding from the governments of the two nations is seeking proposals for projects that will help electricity grids transition to clean and flexible energy.

BloombergNEF figures show financial vehicles linked to environmental and/or social benefits amounted to $247bn worldwide in 2018. The US led the way, almost entirely because state-backed mortgage provider Fannie Mae issued $19.8bn worth of green home loans.

The Dutch PV sector is expected to have grown by 1.3-1.5 GW in 2018. The growth, which marks the Netherlands’ entry into Europe’s gigawatt club, was mainly due to the connection of large-scale projects under the SDE+ program. The nation’s cumulative installed PV capacity should have surpassed 4 GW as the Dutch government prepares to reduce the SDE+ budget.

In the wake of a COP24 climate change conference which emphasized the need to wind down fossil fuel exploitation rapidly, Kuwait is turning to PV as a sustainable solution – of ramping up its oil production.

The Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has proposed a replacement for the flat rate FIT payment regime that is hard to argue with, as it is linked to the actual amount of electricity exported back into the grid.

Of that colossal sum, 350 GW would be for solar. India currently has installed renewable energy capacity of 75 GW with a further 46 GW under implementation.

The United Nations Development Program wants consultants for Iraq’s PV policy, aimed at helping the Ministry of Electricity in the construction of utility-scale solar plants, as well as in the deployment of 5 MW of residential PV. Frost and Sullivan forecasts around 5 GW of solar capacity may be installed by 2028.

According to a Swiss research team, PV technology may take advantage of high Alpine regions to increase generation during winter months when electricity is most needed. On snow-covered mountains, solar panels may have a better yield if their placement takes into account high winter irradiance and ground-reflected radiation and steeper-than-usual panel tilt angles.