Policy

The former vice president has made a long list of promises and commitments to the environment and future of clean energy if elected. Which of these promises could we see immediate action on and which are years down the line?

The electronics brand has announced plans for a virtual power plant aggregator JV with German specialist Next Kraftwerke ahead of the opening up of the control reserve market in Japan in April – and the planned switch from clean energy FITs to feed-in premium, top-up payments a year later.

The nation’s electricity system operator said it wanted more energy storage facilities and to procure new stability products following a big power outage last year. Some 12 months on, the country’s biggest battery storage company has rolled up its sleeves to take on a new role.

An advocate general at the European Court of Justice has said Italy’s decision to amend the terms of signed, 20-year solar incentive contracts in 2014 does not conflict with European law.

China’s largest PV manufacturers claim limits placed on solar glass production two years ago, to prevent over production, are now causing an industry bottleneck.

In a new paper published in the journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, renowned PV scientist Pierre Verlinden examines the solar industry’s trajectory towards the 70 TW of installed capacity that will be needed by 2050, as the best choice for meeting climate targets set out in the 2015 Paris agreement. Silver consumption and recycling, according to Verlinden, will be the biggest challenges in the years to come, as well as ensuring balanced growth and avoiding a major installation rush in the years close to 2050.

Only 1% of Africa’s utility scale solar projects are within 20km of city limits, according to a new report, despite the fact the continent is expected to have around a billion more city dwellers by mid century.

Since President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s election at the end of 2018, renewable energy in Mexico has faced an uncertain regulatory environment. The current government is focused on restoring the power and influence of Mexico’s state-owned energy companies. But it is now at a crossroads, as the previous administration aimed to open the segment up to foreign investment. Maria Chea of IHS Markit examines the policy decisions the government has taken this year and how these have soured private investor sentiment. These changes will likely weigh on utility-scale PV procurement in the country through 2024.

Often dependent on fuel imports from the mainland and frequently powered by fossil fuels, islands have taken center stage at an online forum which builds on a political process kicked-off by Croatia’s presidency of the European Council.

Applications for solar rebates have almost doubled thus far this year, said Swissolar, which sees year-on-year growth in all rooftop PV segments.