Solar investment slid on the back of cheaper modules and China setback
The world again saw more than $300 billion of clean energy investment in 2018, according to BloombergNEF, and although wind narrowed the gap on solar, plunging module prices skewed the figures as PV capacity additions rose 10 GW.
Diverxia secures approval for 240 MW solar park in Colombia
The project, planned for the northern department of Atlántico, will compete in the nation’s renewable energy auction next month.
Cepsa and Masdar ink agreement for 600 MW of renewables in Iberia
The energy companies have signed a partnership agreement to expand their portfolios on the Iberian peninsula. Spain and Portugal have ambitious decarbonization plans requiring large capacities of renewable energy resources in the years to come. Spain’s PV market could reach 6 GW this year.
Hanergy welcomes latest policy noises to come out of Beijing
The thin-film manufacturer and project developer says the Chinese government’s package of measures to drive subsidy-free solar projects will ensure a proliferation of new capacity additions and consolidate the strength of big players like itself.
Argentina: World Bank $250 million guarantee for RenovAr program
The funds will be used by the Argentinian government for solar and other renewable energy projects selected in the third round of the program. The guarantee package was approved by the World Bank in March.
Mexico’s installed PV capacity tops 3 GW
The figure is represented by 39 utility-scale solar plants across 11 states and approximately 85,000 contracts for distributed-generation PV systems.
TrendForce forecasts 111 GW of new solar this year
The Taiwanese market research company said the effects of the 5/31 policy shift in China were less severe than expected, and in 2018 the global solar market grew 4.9%, with approximately 103 GW of new additions. This year, the solar demand is forecast to rise another 7.7%.
Power-to-X gains momentum on two fronts in Germany
Two power-to-gas projects promise to improve the technology. In Brandenburg, Edis and Gasag want to transform renewable power into hydrogen, driving sectoral coupling. And Sunfire has switched on its first co-electrolysis project.
Enel touts €1bn green bond and bags 70% of Polish demand response market
The energy giant’s finance subsidiary placed a bond in Europe to finance its renewable energy and infrastructure projects and secured 70% of Poland’s demand response capacity market for the 2021-2023 period, in the first auctions of their kind in the nation.
American utility PG&E set to file for chapter 11 bankruptcy
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, founded 114 years ago, is filing for bankruptcy and may be broken up by regulators. None of which is good news for solar project owners holding contracts with the utility.
