Germany added 2.9 GW of solar in nine months
In September, PV systems with a total generation capacity of 287 MW were registered in the country. The feed-in tariff has fallen again for this quarter as a result of the new capacity additions.
Solar electricity can retail for $0.027-0.036/KWh as renewables close in on global grid parity
The latest figures released by BloombergNEF show new solar and onshore wind power plants have reached parity with average wholesale prices in California, China and parts of Europe. The technologies are winning the race to be the cheapest sources of new generation for two-thirds of the world’s population.
Russian Far East sees 75 MW of large scale solar come online
Five PV power plants, each with a generation capacity of 15 MW, were grid-connected in the Russian Republic of Buryatia and the Zabaikalsky Territory. The projects were built under a program which offers generators capacity payments and the ability to trade on the wholesale energy market.
Solar sales recover for electronics brands LG, Kyocera and Panasonic
Korean conglomerate LG reports increasing demand for its high-efficiency PV products in key markets while Kyocera said its solar business is improving profitability. Panasonic posted a slight increase in sales for its PV segment, including solar manufacturing.
Saudi power company ACWA secures 200 MW bifacial solar project in Egypt
Saudi energy giant ACWA Power won the tender for the project in August thanks to a lowest final electricity price offer of $0.02752/kWh. Construction of the facility, which will use bifacial panels, is expected to be complete by April 2021.
Large orders from Asian solar manufacturers boost Centrotherm
Enormous order intake is ensuring high production capacity utilization at the German PV equipment provider. The company said demand was particularly strong for high-efficiency solar cell production equipment in Asia. Thus far this year, however, that has not been reflected in the balance sheet.
French Development Agency helps Mozambique build 80 MW of solar capacity
Two PV plants are set to be built under the Project for Promotion of Auctions for Renewable Energies program, being implemented with the support of Mozambican utility Electricidade de Mocambique, which is likely to be the future off-taker of the solar energy generated.
Bidders line up for Ecuador renewables auction
The final results of the exercise, which attracted 22 participants, will be known on April 15. A 200 MW solar project will be assigned in the auction, with the winning bidder for that facility securing a 20-year power purchase agreement.
Indonesia improves rules for rooftop PV
The government has amended two regulations and introduced a new one to spur development of rooftop PV. The new provisions increase the size of systems eligible for net metering payments and reduce fees for industrial installations.
When are solar panels acceptable on historic buildings?
A study from Sweden seeks to consider how PV could be sympathetically installed on historic buildings. The researchers propose a target-based approach for assessing panel visibility.
