Tom Kenning

India’s Ministry of new and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is moving forward with its off-grid solar programme, as part of the National Solar Mission (NSM), after a year of the utility-scale sector stealing the limelight.

Europe has surpassed 100GW of installed grid-connected solar PV capacity, according to new data from research firm IHS.

India-based companies have dominated the latest solar auction for 350MW in the state of Telangana with winning tariffs ranging between INR4.66-4.77/kWh (~US$0.07).

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is targeting 100% renewable energy by 2020 instead of the previous goal of 90%.

India-based solar EPC firm Sterling & Wilson (S&W) has been awarded EPC and O&M contracts for 350MW of solar projects in India by Canada-based developer SkyPower.

Off-grid solar specialist Nova-Lumos has received a £150,000 grant from the SolarNigera Programme (SNP), an initiative of the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) implemented by Adam Smith International, to help accelerate its operations in northern Nigeria.

Australia’s opposition party Labor has released its ‘Climate Change Action Plan’ to the approval of solar advocates in the country.

Chilean utility Colbun is to purchase two of SunEdison’s solar PV projects in development in Chile along with their long-term power supply contracts.

US-based solar developer Ecoplexus has commissioned six solar PV projects, totaling 54MW in North Carolina at US$79 million in value.

Remote schools in West Africa can suffer from high levels of dropouts, a lack of enthusiasm and low rates of literacy and numeracy, but solar technology is now offering a chance to reinvigorate some of the lowest performing schools. PV Tech visited a school that is benefiting from such solar and software installations in the Greater Accra region of Ghana.