Almost 9 GW of utility-scale solar under construction in Africa
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) says utility-scale solar projects are under development in 45 of Africa’s 54 countries, with more projects pairing solar and storage and emerging from direct negotiations between private developers and host governments.
Are robots coming for solar installer jobs?
Robots on solar sites are not new; they have been deployed to automate everything from operations and maintenance to inspection and cleaning. In recent months, there has been an uptick in interest in robots for installation, particularly among utility-scale solar developers dealing with staff shortages, safety concerns, rising costs, and pressure to build.
Global golf courses take up more land than solar, wind plants
Researchers say the 10 countries with the most golf courses could install up to 842 GW of utility-scale solar or 659 GW of wind capacity on land equivalent in size to that used for the sport.
Global utility-scale solar additions hit 182 GW in 2024
Utility-scale solar installations reached 182 GW (AC) in 2024, with the top 33 countries now accounting for 765 GW, or roughly 93% of the global total, according to Wiki-Solar.
UK adds 1.2 GW of solar in 2024
Provisional figures from UK government record 1.2 GW of capacity additions during calendar year, bringing total capacity to 17.6 GW in official figures. Acceleration in deployment needed to hit UK government’s 2030 clean generation target.
Utility-scale solar additions hit 46.8 GW since start of 2023, says Wiki-Solar
PV data consultancy Wiki-Solar says the world’s top solar developers have added nearly 50 GW of new solar capacity since early 2023, raising their cumulative capacity to 146.7 GW – more than one-fifth of the global total.
Top utility-scale solar PV contractors add 20 GW in 15 months
Wiki-Solar’s latest league table finds the cumulative installations of the top 34 engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors now globally stands in excess of 100 GW (AC).
Middle East, North Africa to hit 40 GW of solar this year
The Middle East Solar Industry Association’s (MESIA) latest Solar Outlook Report says that despite rapid growth in solar deployment across the Middle East and North Africa, the area’s power mix is still dominated by fossil fuels. It says growth will be led by utility-scale solar, but it calls for a balanced approach involving distributed energy projects.
Bosnia and Herzegovina grants concessions for 192.5 MW of solar
The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Canton 10 has signed concession agreements for the construction of two utility-scale solar projects, which will rank among the biggest in the country upon completion.
RustMo-mentous: Celebrating 10 years of South Africa’s first big-solar site
With the size of utility scale solar projects in the nation having ballooned, the lessons learned from South Africa’s first big solar field continue to help developers roll out PV as a key energy source.
