Cuba introduces net metering for solar, renewables
According to local association, Cubasolar, the Cuban government introduced Law No. 345 at the end of March. The new rules will come into force after their publication in the country’s official journal.
Ukraine’s operational solar capacity reaches 841 MW
According to new provisional numbers released by the Ukrainian government, around 100 MW of new solar PV power stations were connected to the country’s grid in the first quarter of 2018.
Sweden increases 2018 solar budget by another $20 million
Solar rebates were increased, from covering 20% of the cost of buying and installing a rooftop PV system, to 30%, starting from last January. Overall, the Swedish government will grant around US$80 million in incentives this year.
France preps tender for 300 MW PV plant aimed at to-be-decommissioned nuclear site
The giant solar plant is expected to improve power supply in the department of Haut-Rhin, where the country’s oldest nuclear power plant, located in Fessenheim, on the border with Germany, will be closed by 2020.
EkoRE plans 1 GW vertically integrated PV factory in Turkey
The Turkish solar company is planning to set up the manufacturing facility in the Bor Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) of Niğde, in Central Anatolia. After the project was accepted under a special incentive program by the Turkish government this week, EkoRE is now seeking investors.
Romania’s PV capacity grew by only 3 MW in 2017
The Romanian solar PV market has ground to a halt, following the expiration of the green certificate scheme for large-scale renewables. New provisions for net metering and distributed generation, however, may come into force soon.
Egypt seeks to define new auction mechanism for solar and wind
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which is now assisting the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for the tendering of two solar PV projects, is seeking consultants to help the country’s transition from FITs to auctions.
Portugal: Renewables are driving down electricity prices
In March alone, renewable energies covered 103.6% of the country’s total power consumption, a performance which was mainly driven by wind and hydropower. As a result, the average power price on the daily spot market dropped year-on-year, from €43.94/MWh to €39.75/MWh.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners raises €3.5 billion for renewables
The Danish investment firm will use the funds to finance wind, solar, biomass and geothermal projects across several markets. The final close of the fund exceeded its end goal by €500 million.
EBRD helps Morocco assess its renewable energy injection capacity
The international financial institution is assisting the grid operator of the Northern African country, ONEE, in evaluating the current capacity of its very high voltage (VH) and high voltage (HV) networks to absorb additional power from renewables.
