Germany installed almost 3 GW of solar in 2018
PV demand grew 68% year-on-year from the level seen in 2017 as Germany’s cumulative installed solar generation capacity reached 45.92 GW.
pv magazine’s Mexican editor Jorge Zarco wins journalism prize
The editor-in-chief of pv magazine Mexico won first prize in the interview category at this year’s Solar Energy Journalism Awards, organized by the Mexican Solar Energy Association.
Uranium provider GoviEx goes solar
The Canadian company is planning to build a 20 MW hybrid diesel-solar power plant at the Madaouela mining site near Arlit, in northern central Niger. The project will be developed by Canadian independent power producer Windiga Energy.
Japanese government warns against fire risk from rooftop PV
The warning was made by the nation’s Consumer Affairs Agency, which claims 172 fire accidents occurred in Japan from 2008 to 2017. The Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association said it will provide homeowners with the relevant information and stressed fire risk should not be used as an argument against the energy transition.
Netherlands PV market expanded by 46% in 2018
Dutch New Energy’s report reveals residential PV is no longer the largest growth driver – commercial and industrial and large-scale solar are now taking the lead. With newly installed PV capacity of 1.3 GW, the country saw its largest increase in new installations last year.
New Caledonia sees 10 MW solar-plus-storage plant come online
The Wi Hâche Ouatom project is the first of its kind in the southwest Pacific French overseas territory. The facility is 51% owned by Enercal Energies Nouvelles and 49% by Promosud, both of which are based in the archipelago.
Saudi Arabia launches tender for 1.5 GW of solar capacity
The Renewable Energy Project Development Office is tendering seven large-scale IPP solar projects. The exercise is part of Round 2 of the Saudi National Renewable program, which is expected to allocate almost 2.2 GW of PV capacity this year.
Solar gains ground in Mongolia
A 10 MW solar facility in the Sumber Soum area of Mongolia’s southern Govisümber province has been connected to the grid. The project was financed by the Green Climate Fund and XacBank and takes Mongolia’s installed PV capacity to 35 MW. The pipeline of approved solar schemes has surpassed 700 MW.
Jordan suspends renewables auctions, new licenses for projects over 1 MW
Auctions and new licenses will be suspended until the Jordanian government has assessed the capabilities of its power network.
France to tender 17.2 GW of solar up to 2025
In France’s new energy strategy, the Macron administration has said how much will be allocated annually in tenders for ground-mount and rooftop PV projects over the next six years. In the best case scenario, France would have 44.5 GW of solar capacity by 2028, with renewables forecast to come in at up to 113 GW.
