Policy

The U.S. Department of Commerce dramatically increased tariffs on imports from Chinese solar producers operating in Vietnam after the agency concluded that China is subsidizing raw materials for its companies to use in their Vietnamese factories.

Israel is considering two new tariff rates for selling excess electricity from home solar installations back to the grid. The first will offer a higher rate for the first five years, before dropping beneath the current rate, while the second will link the tariff to inflation. A consultation is open until April 4.

Greece’s latest auction has awarded subsidies to 188.9 MW of standalone, front-of-the-meter, utility-scale battery energy storage. The auction was the third and final edition of a battery storage subsidy program launched in 2023, with the country now turning its focus towards a new 4.7 GW unsibsidized BESS scheme.

Developer Shannon LNG has obtained permission from the Irish planning authorities for a 600 MW regasification unit and a 120 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) in County Kerry. It is unclear when the plant will be built. Renewable energy advocates and opposition politicians are calling on the state to overturn the permit, citing Shannon LNG’s separate plans to construct a controversial LNG terminal near the gas plant.

Japan has allocated 93 MW of PV capacity in its latest procurement exercise. The lowest bid came in at JPY 4.47 ($0.030)/kWh, while the average final price was JPY 5.06/kWh.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) is tendering 14 solar power projects ranging in size from 105 MW to 250 MW.

The second Donald Trump administration has put up roadblocks to clean energy investment but renewable energy analysts say superior technology and its economic benefits will ultimately prevail.

This week, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice to Josef Kastner, the CEO of Austria-based Nexun. He says professional decisions must be based on ability, not gender. “Societal expectations influence leadership styles, but fairness is non-negotiable. Everyone deserves the same rights and opportunities,” he states.

Belgian grid operator Fluvius says it is on course to finish installing smart meters in all solar-powered homes in the Belgian region of Flanders by the end of this year.

Researchers in Portugal have simulated 800 power purchase agreemeents across eight different contract type and have found that contracts with a variable price structure achieve higher performance. Their analysis considered net present value, contract performance deviation and volume residual as the main indicators.