Canadian Solar to develop more Japanese PV
The Chinese-Canadian business has extended and expanded its credit line to finance more solar development in Japan despite plunging FIT rates and other obstacles affecting the market.
Tenerife plans 350 MW of solar alongside 1 GWh storage
A new project is in line with the target of the Island Council of Tenerife to cover all electricity demand with renewable energy. The development of electromobility and storage is key to the ambition.
Ikea’s solar offer in Germany criticized by consumer association
The Verbraucherzentrale NRW says advertising for the Solstråle solar system is misleading and has warned the furniture provider and its partner Solarcentury Microgen (Deutschland) GmbH it will begin legal action if the campaign is not changed.
Hanergy Thin Film shareholders to vote on share swap proposal
Details have finally emerged about when independent investors will decide whether to wave through a deal to transfer their stock into a special purpose vehicle for relisting the Hong Kong unit on the Chinese A-share index.
Development lender to help Egypt deploy 600 MW of solar in West Nile
World Bank Group member the IFC has signed an agreement to implement tendered projects with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company. The tender for the solar complex was launched at the end of 2017.
Lithuania announces first renewables auction and €4.5 million in solar rebates this year
The first mixed auction for renewable energy technologies will be held in September and will allocate around 300 GWh. The government will apportion €20 million for solar rebates up to 2023.
Q-Cells unveils new half-cell monocrystalline panel
According to the Korean manufacturer, its Q.Peak Duo-G6 module is produced with larger wafers than those used in the G5. This is said to increase module yield by around 6% for a power output ranging from 355-420 W.
Another 3 GW on the way for the Netherlands PV market
The slew of new capacity will come from projects allocated from the bids received for the autumn 2018 round of the SDE+ program for large scale renewables. The Dutch Central Agency for Statistics revealed new PV additions last year were 200 MW more than predicted, at 1.5 GW, and the government last week announced net metering conditions for rooftop solar would be maintained until 2023.
An argument for renewables, and for a new utility paradigm
In late January 2019, California’s largest investor-owned utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) declared bankruptcy for the second time, causing anxiety for investors, ratepayers, employees, PPA holders, elected government officials and, lest we forget, fire and gas explosion victims. Judge Alsup, who is overseeing PG&E’s probation from its felony conviction, lambasted the company for violating its probation. “To my mind, there’s a very clear-cut pattern here: that PG&E is starting these fires,” Alsup said. “What do we do? Does the judge just turn a blind eye and say, ‘PG&E continue your business as usual. Kill more people by starting more fires.”
The weekend read: Playing by the carbon footprint rules
Developers and manufacturers looking to enter France’s utility-scale segment must deal with controversial rules which prioritize projects relying on low-carbon emission modules. But what makes a low-emission module? Clearly ones that are made in France or elsewhere in Europe, according to market data. But despite clearly increasing project costs, the rules do not seem to be an obstacle for the planned gigawatt-scale growth of solar in the country over the coming years.
