All News

2016 begins with an egalitarian slant as solar markets of all shapes, sizes and regions garner attention, much of it extremely positive.

The North Carolina-based PV developer plans to equip more than 1.4 GW of solar PV with Skytron’s monitoring systems by the middle of this year, including both retrofits and newly built plants.

A legislative committee has approved the introduction of exemptions to the IPI, PIS, Pasep and Cofins taxes for certain components of solar PV installations in the 8322/14 bill.

A new report by the U.S. government’s NREL and Berkeley Lab finds a 3.6% reduction in fossil fuel generation and up to US$3.9 billion in net savings for electricity customers in 2013, as well as reduced water use and the creation of 200,000 jobs.

Just over a week after Nevada’s Public Utilities Commission took the decision to scrap retail-rate net metering, SolarCity has announced 550 jobs will go in the U.S. state. The rooftop solar PV installer has also closed its training center in West Las Vegas.

The GCL Group has said it is looking to raise around HK$5.8 billion (approx. US$748.2 million) by way of two rights issues. The funds will go towards reducing company indebtedness and stimulating business development, particularly in the solar farm segment.

Renewable Energy Systems (RES) has announced it will be working on a 640 kWh energy storage system in Somerset, the U.K. The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has applauded the news, stating the country is set to see considerable storage growth in 2016. Government policies are currently a barrier, however.

Solar PV electricity generation has surpassed hydro in the UK for the first time in 2015. EnAppSys has revealed the impressive result in a report this week in which it concluded that renewables growth in Britain is causing, “the continued fall in power supply from coal-fired power stations.”

SunEdison Inc. has announced a further action to raise capital and remove debt. Under a Second Lien Facility, the renewable energy giant will raise US$725 million, while a series of exchange agreements with certain note holders will see a reduction of $738 million in debt.

SolarPower Europe has described the UK government’s public stand against the solar Minimum Import Price (MIP) as “particularly welcome.” The comment comes after Andrea Leadsom, the UK’s Minister of State at Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) told the House of Commons today that it would be “it would be fairer and simpler to remove the MIP while the current expiry review is under way.”