Chile is set to add 1.5GW of new renewable energy capacity in 2017, according to Carlos Finat, the executive director of Chile’s renewable energy association, ACERA.
Having been slow to actively encourage solar deployment in comparison to other major South American markets, Argentina has now declared 2017 as a “Year of Renewable Energy”, under a decree from its official gazette.
Indian salt producer Sambhar Salts Limited (SSL), a subsidiary of state-owned firm Hindustan salts, has invited Expressions of Intent (EOI) for the development of a 100MW solar project in the state of Rajasthan, on an EPC basis.
The Indian states of Telangana and Assam have joined the government’s major rescue package for the country’s debt-laden distribution companies (Discoms), on the same day that a web portal and mobile app for the scheme was launched.
The tax on solar self-consumption in the Balearic Islands of Spain has been doubled by a ministerial order, causing uproar from Spain’s PV industry association UNEF.
India has proposed providing a grant of up to INR3.75 million per MW (US$54,100) to encourage distribution companies to support net metering of rooftop solar on their networks.
India is expected to add more than 9GW of solar PV capacity this year, but its long-term renewable energy future requires adding transmission capacity and removing bottlenecks immediately, according to the latest quarterly solar market update from consultancy firm Mercom Capital Group.
India is expected to become a “key pillar” for solar demand growth, while growth from leading nations including China, Japan and possibly the US declines, according to the latest update from consultancy firm Bridge to India.
Even though monkeys were allegedly wreaking havoc on India’s solar rooftop systems last year, 2016 was remarkable for the Indian PV sector. With solar taking 1% the nation’s electricity share and India set to become the world’s third largest market in 2017 , Bloomberg New Energy Finance has proclaimed that ‘solar is king of Indian renewables’. Add the completion of the world’s largest solar plant to these accolades and you have a good indicator of the South Asian giant’s ambitions. Even India’s biggest oil, steel and mining companies are getting on board the solar rush.
China has made known its disappointment with the European Commission’s decision to extend its trade duties on Chinese solar products for a further two years, through comments from an official at the Ministry of Commerce.
