Emiliano Bellini
Hevel Solar begins work on 10 MW PV plant in Siberia
The plant is located in the Republic of Buryatia, where Hevel is also planning another 15 MW solar facility. The project’s completion is scheduled for December 2017.
Canada: Newfoundland and Labrador launches net metering
Renewable energy power generators installed under the scheme will sell power surplus to local utilities Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power starting from July 2017.
Residential and commercial PV drive solar growth in Poland, cumulative capacity nears 200 MW
Around 101 MW of new PV systems was connected to the grid in Poland last year. Of this capacity, about 73 MW came from residential and commercial solar power generators.
Tunisia launches tender for 70 MW of solar
The Tunisian government hopes to allocate 210 MW of wind and solar capacity through the tender. Bids for PV projects must be submitted by Nov. 15, 2017.
Israel to hold tender for over 150 MW of large-scale PV in July
In the latest tender for PV projects up to 12 MW held in March, the Israeli government allocated around 235 MW of solar capacity. Overall, the Middle Eastern country has reached cumulative PV capacity of over 900 MW.
Interview: Europe needs big PV manufacturers
Xavier Daval, the president of the French solar association SER-SOLER, spoke with pv magazine about the necessity of creating a large European industrial group specialized in solar module production. Leaving solar manufacturing to China and the United States, Daval said, would make Europe energy dependent for the next decades.
Egypt: German consortium plans 1 GW vertically integrated solar factory
A first agreement to start a feasibility study for the project, which also includes the construction of a giant solar plant, was signed in the presence of the country’s minister of energy Mohamed Shaker.
Swedish Parliament approves cancellation of solar tax
The tax was applied to PV installations for self-consumption with a capacity of over 255 kW. The move is expected to revive Sweden’s solar market after the disappointing performance (due to the tax) registered last year.
Environmentalist and solar advocate Nicolas Hulot is France’s new energy minister
Hulot is a well-known journalist and environmentalist which has had a leading role in the French Green Party (Europe Écologie-Les Verts) in the past, and has always supported solar through his foundation.
Indian hydropower provider SJVN seeks partners to deploy 500 MW of solar
The state-owned Indian hydro-power producer has issued an EoI to select potential partners for the construction of large-scale PV plants across India. SJVN will have an equity share of over 26% in the proposed joint venture.
