Emiliano Bellini
Dutch government launches tender for utility-scale solar noise barrier
The solar project will be built at the A58 Highway, near the municipality of Etten-Leur. More solar noise barriers, relying on bifacial module, are planned for main roads in the Netherlands.
Another 145.5 MW of utility-scale solar gets green light in Portugal
Including the latest three projects, the country’s total approved large-scale solar capacity has surpassed 1 GW. The developer is Escalabis Solar and total investment is expected to reach €81 million.
Colombian oil giant Ecopetrol goes solar with 10 MW project
The state-owned oil company has decided to power one of its fields with a solar park. The tender for the project will be launched in the fourth quarter. A renewable energy plant portfolio of around 140 MW may be built by Ecopetrol.
EU authorizes Denmark’s scheme for mixed wind-solar auctions
The budget for the first auctions of this kind, for the period 2018-2019, is around €112 million. They are part of Denmark’s new energy strategy, dubbed “Energy for a green Denmark.”
Italian region of Lombardia allocates another €3 million for solar+storage
After earmarking €4 million last year, Italy’s most dynamic and affleunt region is further supporting solar+storage installations through a rebate scheme.
Brazil’s PV capacity tops 1.6 GW
At the end of June 2018, according to official statistics, large-scale solar capacity reached 1,307 MW, while the share of distributed PV generation (up to 5 MW), was 296 MW. Of the total capacity, 1.36 GW was connected to the grid in the last 12 months.
Hanwha Q Cells reports lower revenue, swings to loss in Q2
At US$518.4 million, the quarterly turnover of the South Korean-German manufacturer was down 10.3% year-on-year, while its net result swung from a profit of $18.7 million in the second quarter of 2017, to a loss of $41.3 million in the latest quarter. Despite this, the outlook for full fiscal 2018 remains unchanged.
Requests to access solar net-metering in Dubai reach 323 MW
To date, 50 MW of net-metered solar power arrays have been connected to the grid in the Emirates. One of the latest is a 2 MW PV carport at the headquarters of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) building.
Hanergy is back on the expansion trail with plans for Brazil fab
The thin-film specialist has met representatives of the municipality of Uberaba, in the west of the state of Minas Gerais, to discuss project details. Planned investment may reach $1 billion as the Chinese manufacturer, like its peers, targets overseas markets.
Silfab to launch 300 MW back-contact module production in Q1 2019
The Ontario-based solar manufacturer will deploy a 150 MW production line at its manufacturing facility in Toronto, and another 150 MW line at an unspecified location in the United States.
