Installations

Laos-based Sunlabob Renewable Energy has been awarded two contracts for the design, supply, installation and local training for 13 turnkey solar PV plants in Sierra Leone.

Photowatt parent company, EDF, has announced it will invest €10 million in the establishment of a new 75 MW photovoltaic module manufacturing line in France, in order to bring production back to Europe. Exisiting facilities will also be modernized.

The new subsidies for battery storage systems will apply retroactively to all photovoltaic systems installed this year and have a maximum capacity of 30 kW. The German Environment Ministry and KfW state bank have not made any official announcements, however, the program is expected to be introduced in the coming week.

Four renewable energy associations in Spain have joined forces to oppose implementation of the Spanish government’s new decree, which “retroactively aggravates initial investment conditions” for developers of photovoltaic installations and other renewable energy plants.

A report into the electricity bill savings available from residential photovoltaics in the U.S. has come up with some surprising conclusions. For instance, the more solar penetrates the energy mix, the lower the savings available from rooftop systems, although that is not the whole story.

Belgian Renewable Energies Association, Apere, announced yesterday that Belgium surpassed 2.6 GW of installed photovoltaic capacity at the end of 2012. Overall, the renewable energy accounts for 2.8% of the country’s total electricity consumption.

PPC Renewables has announced three tenders for a 50 MW photovoltaic project in Greece. If the park is completed by this October, it will secure a tariff of €0.392/kWh.

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) forecasts that large-scale photovoltaic systems will supply energy cheaper than coal and gas by 2020 in Australia. Already, it states, wind farms are supplying energy cheaper than its fossil fuel counterparts.

The U.S. has requested World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement consultations with the Indian Government regarding India’s solar photovoltaic domestic content requirements (DCR). Industry association SEIA has come out in support of the move.

The sky is the limit for photovoltaic market growth, which is expected to more than triple by 2020, according to a report just released by London-based research firm GlobalData. It says growth is being stimulated by two major forces. Challenges are present, however, including issues over existing grid infrastructure.