Emiliano Bellini
Brazil to hold another auction including solar in April
The new A-4 auction will be open to thermoelectric, wind, solar and hydro large-scale power projects, which must be operational from 2022.
US scientists use hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites to increase solar cell efficiency
Research funded by the US Department of Energy and conducted by the University of Virginia has demonstrated how the rotation of organic molecules in hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites may expand the lifetime of photoexcited charge carriers.
Curaçao and Dutch Caribbean launch tenders for two more solar projects
While Curaçao’s power utility Aqualectra seeks developers for a 10-15 MW solar park, Saba Electric Company, the energy provider of the Saba island, is tendering 1 MW of PV capacity combined with storage.
Italy: Solar prices on power exchange lower than reference price in 2016
According to a report from Italy’s GSE, solar power prices on the Italian wholesale electricity market last year were between 5% and 12% lower than the national reference price.
EkoRE plans 15 MW solar plant in Ukraine
The Turkish EPC contractor is also planning to install rooftop PV systems on several public buildings of the city of Ochakiv, where the solar park may be located.
UAE: Rooftop specialist Environmena acquired by UK investment firm
U.K. investment firm, Arjun Infrastructure Partners is expected to bring strategic support and access to capital to the UAE-based solar developer.
Argentina grants final approval for new distributed generation law
Under the new rules, which are expected to come into force in the first quarter of 2018, owners of residential and commercial PV systems will be allowed to sell excess power to the grid under a net metering mechanism.
Lithuania’s new energy strategy bets on wind and prosumers
Although the country’s new national energy independence strategy says wind will represent 65% of its total renewable energy share by 2050, the number of households that self-generate their power (predominantly from solar) is expected to increase from 34,000 in 2020, to 500,000 in 2030.
Fortum to buy 35 MW of solar plants in Russia
The Finnish power utility has agreed to acquire three solar facilities, commissioned between 2016 and 2017 and located in Russia, from local solar module maker Hevel.
Spain’s Aragón region prepares to host Europe’s largest solar plant
The 549 MW PV facility will be built by Spanish industrial group ACS on 2,369 hectares of land, spread across the municipalities of Escatrón and Chiprana. The project was selected by the Spanish government in this year’s second renewable energy auction, in which around 3.9 GW of solar power was allocated.
