UAE-based Ocean Holding plans to invest $100 million in solar in Armenia
Armenia’s Ministry of Energy has signed a MoU with UAE-based Ocean Holding for the construction of PV plants with a combined capacity of over 100 MW.
Ukraine’s PV capacity tops 530.8 MW
Ukraine installed almost 100 MW of new PV systems in 2016. The country’s cumulative installed PV power reached 530.8 at the end of last year. Local agency SAEE predicts 150 MW of new PV installations for 2017, while the association UARE expects between 300 MW and 400 MW.
PV in Slovakia is kept alive by residential segment
Slovakia has seen small amounts of PV installed over the past three years. In 2016, however, the market showed the first signs of a recovery led by the residential segment. The country reached 545 MW of installed PV power at the end of 2016.
“We should work all together for the future of energy”
Interview: SolarPower Europe has appointed Wacker Chemie’s Christian Westermeier as new president. pv magazine spoke with the outgoing president Oliver Schäfer about the reasons behind his unexpected resignation and the future of PV and the energy market in Europe.
Armenia builds third 1 MW PV plant under special tariff regime, announces plans for module factory
The Armenian government introduced a special tariff for PV projects up to 1 MW in late 2016. Construction on the country’s third 1 MW solar project under this regime has now begun. Furthermore, the Ministry of Energy has announced plans for Armenia’s first module factory.
Czech solar market shows first signs of revival in residential segment
The Czech solar market collapsed in 2014 after the country’s FIT scheme was shut down. After two years of almost zero growth, the country’s PV market registered a slight increase in new installations in 2016. This growth was mainly due to the support program for sustainable buildings.
Estonia to replace feed-in premium scheme for renewables and solar with auction mechanism
The Estonian government plans to replace the current FIP scheme for renewable energies with an auction mechanism within the next few months. The country’s installed PV capacity reached 10 MW at the end of 2016.
Poland added 94 MW of PV capacity in 2016
The Polish solar market has seen its largest growth in 2016 with approximately 94 MW in new installations. The country’s cumulative installed PV power had reached 192 MW at the end of December. A more stable regulatory framework is giving investors more confidence.
Slovenia’s PV capacity tops 259 MW, net-metering expected to support more growth
The small eastern European country has been adding around 10 MW of new PV systems each year over the past four years. A net-metering scheme introduced in 2015 is expected to increase demand for residential installations.
Wacker’s Christian Westermeier elected SolarPower Europe president
SolarPower Europe announced that Christian Westermeier has been elected as the organization’s new president. Westermeier is the Vice President, Marketing, Sales and Application Engineering of German chemical company and polysilicon manufacturer Wacker Chemie.
