Burkina Faso announces plan to build eight solar parks totaling 100 MW
All of the eight projects, planned for seven different regions, will be awarded a declaration of public utility. The new facilities are expected to improve the country’s power supply, which still relies heavily on fossil fuels and imports.
Argentina grants dispatch priority to three private PPAs for 26 MW of solar
The three projects will all be located in the north of the country, one of the regions with the world’s highest levels of solar irradiation.
Actis acquires SunPower’s 100 MW project in Chile
Through this operation, the U.K. investor, which already owns a 40% interest in the Javiera solar plant located in the Antofagasta region, consolidates its position in the Chilean solar market.
Financing PV projects in Iran remains challenging
Interview: Iran intends to build new PV and wind power plants totaling 5 GW in the coming years. The first PPAs have already been signed. Among them, Germany’s Geon secured a FIT contract for a 120 MW solar park. The company’s managing director, Sharam Roghani explains why this is only half the battle and why financing projects in Iran remains difficult. He has not found a lender yet, and time is running out.
Netherlands installed 853 MW of solar in 2017, monocrystalline modules dominate
According to new numbers released by Good!/Solar Solutions, the Dutch solar market grew by 60% last year. PV currently covers approximately 2.2% of the country’s power demand, while monocrystalline modules accounted for around 60% of last year’s solar panel sales.
Spain’s Canary Islands to launch 100 MW solar auction this year
The government of the Spanish archipelago, which also announced a 300 MW wind power auction for this year, aims to cover 45% of its energy needs with renewables by 2025.
Yemen sees solar energy grow despite civil war
The disrupture of the country’s power system, which is being caused by the ongoing civil conflicts, is pushing Yemenis to resort to solar as a primary source of energy. According to preliminary estimates, more than 300 MW of PV power generators were installed in Yemen since the war began in 2015.
Private PPAs for renewables reach 5.4 GW in 2017, BNEF says
Last year’s result surpassed by more than 1 GW the results registered in 2015 and 2016, when the combined capacity of this market segment reached 4.4 GW and 4.3 GW, respectively.
Hungary to launch 300 MW solar program for farmers
The new scheme envisages the construction of 600 solar farms with a capacity of 0.5 MW each.
Turkey added 1.17 GW of solar in December alone
According to new figures from the local grid operator, Turkey’s cumulative installed PV capacity has reached 3.42 GW, as of the end of 2017. The end-of-year rush was due to the 25% FIT reduction granted to unlicensed projects, which came into effect on January 1.
