China drags global clean energy investment to $333.5bn in 2017, finds BNEF
Despite approximate 25% fall in solar costs per MWh against 2015, last year saw more than $333 billion invested in clean energy, with global solar deployment figures topping 53 GW, finds new Bloomberg New Energy Finance report.
Shell to acquire 44% stake in US solar developer Silicon Ranch
The pioneering US solar developer will now be backed by Europe’s largest oil and gas company.
IRENA and ADFD to fund $25m PV projects in Mauritius and Rwanda
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) have announced that two solar PV projects – one located in Mauritius and the other in Rwanda – will be receiving $25 million in concessional loans from ADFD, one in Mauritius and one in Rwanda.
Brazil’s government to review project for Brazilian-Paraguayan vertically integrated PV production
The feasibility study for the 1.7 GW Green Silicon project was conducted by Germany’s Fraunhofer IPA, Fraunhofer ISE, Viridis-iq and ZSW in 2015. The project is being developed by the local hydropower producer, Itaipú in partnership with the industry trade association of the Brazilian state of Paraná, and with the support of German industry association, Solar Cluster Baden-Württemberg.
The weekend read: The science of soil
Soiling and solar: No two solar plants are ever the same, and the conditions that can impact energy yield can literally change with the wind. Soiled solar modules had long been considered a minor nuisance for the sector, but as understanding of how soiling affects output improves, so have techniques and technologies to tackle the persistent problem of dirty modules.
Germany: Potential grand coalition partners, CDU/CSU and SPD want auctions for 4 GW of solar, wind
Negotiators of the three German parties have agreed on a common preliminary paper. They also agreed on additional tenders for large-scale solar and wind power projects, with a volume of 4 GW in the years 2019 and 2020.
Argentina launches tender for supply of 120,000 solar kits
The solar kits will be installed in rural areas with no connection to the country’s power grid.
Switzerland: New PV additions for 2017 range between 250 and 270 MW
According to provisional figures released by Swissolar, solar demand remained stable in the country last year. Looking ahead, the association expects another 300 MW to be deployed this year.
Portugal: ‘Unsubsidized’ approved large-scale PV projects top 756 MW, first private solar PPA signed
The projects will be developed without direct public incentives and will sell power to the spot market – an option still considered unviable by the local renewable energy sector – or through private PPAs. Meanwhile, local power provider, Axpo Iberia has agreed to buy electricity from a 28 MW solar facility planned in southern Portugal under a 10-year PPA.
Austrian solar incentives portal overwhelmed with applications, again
Around 3,000 incentive applications were filed with the portal in the first five minutes after it was activated. The first-come-first-serve principle, however, will not be applied to determine which developers will have access to the incentive program.
