Meyer Burger plans to launch solar PV roof tiles in 2022
The Swiss group has acquired an integrated solar roof system solution from an unidentified German engineering service provider for this purpose. The aim is grow this sector from a niche market.
Bboxx cottons on to pay-as-you-go potential of Burkina Faso
The PAYG solar start-up, which is a darling of impact investors, has formed a joint venture with French cotton farming giant Geocoton to establish a foothold in Burkina Faso and says it is aiming to offer its solar home systems to 2 million customers.
European Commission approves France’s €30bn renewables incentive program
Paris intends to secure 34 GW of solar, onshore wind and hydroelectric generation capacity by 2026 by offering generators premium payments – determined by competitive reverse-bidding among developers – to top-up the market electricity price.
Spark welcomes takeover talks as buyout bid reaches almost $4bn
Australian electricity network part-owner Spark Infrastructure said it will welcome other bids if a $5.2 billion (USD$3.85) billion takeover bid by a consortium fails, implying a sale is on the cards.
Maxeon secures EU cash to make its ‘stick-on’ solar panels in France
The TotalEnergies-controlled solar manufacturer will secure an, as yet undetermined chunk of a new €118.6 million low-carbon innovation fund to start producing its frameless, glass-free solar roofing products at Porcelette, in northeastern France.
PowerGen and CrossBoundary to deploy solar to 55,000 people in rural Nigeria within a year
U.S.-owned, Nairobi-based mini-grid developer PowerGen has already rolled out seven local solar networks in the West African country, funded by equity investors who will recoup their cash when all 28 systems are sold to CrossBoundary Energy Access.
Queensland energy survey reveals shifts in battery and EV embrace coupled with continued love of solar
Known as Australia’s “Sunshine State,” Queensland households have, in just two years, doubled their residential energy storage, according to a new survey. The figures reveal 37% of Queensland households now have panels installed, with a further 22% looking to install or upgrade their systems.
Net zero could be 630-plus gigawatt annual opportunity for solar
Analyst BloombergNEF has gazed into its crystal ball and predicted three routes to a net zero world. The ‘green’ scenario fleshed out in its latest New Energy Outlook is bound to appeal far more to the solar industry than the alternative, nuclear or fossil-fuel-powered outcomes.
Sahel-wide group buying program could drive solar home system supply
A report commissioned by EU lender the EIB has dismissed the role solar mini-grids can play in achieving universal electrification by 2030 and signaled distribution to individual households should be the way forward, including sales to the residents of UN refugee camps in East Africa.
Bangladesh’s upper court tells government to get serious about renewables
Responding to a petition seeking an order to protect vulnerable wildlife habitats, the High Court of Bangladesh has told policymakers in Dhaka to draw up a plan for 100% clean energy.
