ADB finances its first utility-scale PV plant in $160 million deal
Asia’s largest IPP receives funds to develop renewable energy assets in line with Indonesia’s plans to increase renewable generation to 23% by 2025. The ADB’s support for PV at this scale is novel and could help overcome financing gaps that have hindered PV development in emerging nations
Tongwei, Longi sign 55,000 MT polysilicon supply agreement
China’s Tongwei and Longi Green Energy Technology have announced a new polysilicon supply deal under which Tongwei will sell 55,000 metric tons of polysilicon to Longi through the end of 2020
Solar quadruples in big US capacity auction as electricity price soars
Unit cost of power is set to almost double for around a fifth of the US population in three years’ time as abandonment of all-of-the-above Obama strategy sees fewer generators participate in PJM capacity auction
Ireland offers funding for European collaboration on renewables
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has announced a €500,000 fund of Irish government and European Commission cash to promote sustainable energy technology development
Survey finds digitalization, decentralization and decarbonization concerns energy leaders
The World Energy Council tracks the top concerns of energy leaders and has created a tool with Arup to display its findings. The rise of digitalization issues and the decreasing significance of fossil fuels indicates a strong renewables market ahead and energy start ups are receiving increasing attention from utilities and leaders
Blockchain project Solar DAO will action its first PV plants, in Kazakhstan
The world’s first digital, autonomous, closed-end, utility-scale PV project investment fund – enabling people with any budget to become co-owners of projects – has announced the implementation of its first arrays, in Kazakhstan, with 4 MW in the north-west of the country and 4 MW in the south. Solar DAO says it will save about $50,000 per MW since total development costs will be less than $5,000 per MW.
TenneT issues €1.25 billion in green bonds
Dutch/German transmission operator Tennet Holding B.V. has launched a €1.25 billion green bond program. The issuance is backed by five major banks – BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, Lloyds and Rabobank.
PV leading the charge to low-emission future says IEA
With 34 of the 38 key technologies needed to hit the Paris Agreement’s best-case scenario falling short, PV and electric vehicles are keeping hopes alive
“We helped large-scale solar be commercially viable,” says departing Australian Renewable Energy Agency boss
The booming large scale and rooftop PV market in 2018 is providing reasons to be optimistic about the future of solar under the Australian sun. Reflecting on his six-year tenure as CEO at ARENA ahead of his departure in August, Ivor Frischknecht points to the role the agency played in bringing down the costs of large scale solar as ARENA’s greatest achievement.
CDPQ takes majority stake in Invenergy Renewables
Invenergy plans to maintain day-to-day management of its renewable energy business, with the Québecois fund manager increasing its economic stake to 52%.
