Poland

With more than 200 MW of newly installed PV, 2018 was a record year for Polish solar. Of the nation’s total PV capacity, 339.5 MW comes from 50 kW or smaller arrays.

Considering the remarkable advances made by the solar sector since the Rio ‘Earth Summit’ of 1992, PV was notable by its absence at the Convention of Parties climate change summit held by the UN in Poland.

French-backed institutional investor Eiffel Energy Transition Group will finance almost 100 MW of new solar capacity in the central European nations after signing a deal with the Chinese developer.

Companies in the United States accounted for more than 60% of the clean energy deals signed by corporations worldwide last year, according to BloombergNEF. A proposed renewable portfolio standard for Chinese business, though, could turn the picture upside down in a year’s time.

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.

More than a dozen European ministers of economic affairs have released a statement setting out the next steps to turn Europe into an industrial hub for large-scale cell production. The role of SMEs and competition was highlighted as ministers said European cells should provide innovation in terms of raw material use and sustainability, hinting at a pivot away from lithium-ion.

As the dust settles on an imperfect, but still welcome, international agreement thrashed out at COP 24, the chairman of the European Energy Research Alliance has criticized the solar industry for its lack of representation in Katowice.

pv magazine’s Max Hall is back on the beat at COP24 in Katowice for more climate change related shenanigans, and will be endeavoring to uncover any solar angles he can winkle out in the vast venue.

During COP24, U.K. Energy Minister Claire Perry announced that her government will increase its efforts to help bring clean energy to Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of $126 million will be channeled via the REPP platform, which has already realized 18 projects with a considerable number of beneficiaries.

The Global Solar Council has released a 15 point plan, which is largely policy focussed, alleging that the industry has down its homework to slash the costs of solar. Now its policies turn to even the playing field. In a similar effort, the World Future Council has announced that it will launch a new platform for policymakers and the industry to enable an ongoing dialogue.