SKI Corp, Japanese a mobile phone sales agency, has signalled its intent to build a 24MW solar farm in the west of Japan and to borrow ¥8 billion (US$67 million), for the purposes of doing so.
The cost of solar in Japan declined as much as 15% in one year, but a lack of clear policy direction from the government has left a number of businesses with a “pessimistic” outlook of the industry’s future, according to a survey by the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation (JREF).
Japan has confirmed it will make big cuts to the feed-in tariff (FiT) payable for solar, which have been expected for some time, dropping the rate by around 16%, from ¥32 (US$0.27) per kWh to ¥27 per kWh by July.
Kyocera is targeting the German market for self-consumed solar electricity, with the Japanese company preparing to launch a home energy storage system in May.
Solar microinverter manufacturer Enphase has stepped up its involvement in a collaborative effort with Hawaii’s main electric utility to stabilise the US state’s grid networks.
Japan’s electric utility companies that had stopped considering applications for utility-scale solar look set to resume doing so, although projects will be subjected to stricter new rules.
Vertically integrated solar power provider SunEdison and its ‘yield co’ subsidiary will build 85.2MW of UK PV across five plants, having secured financing from Santander and Bayerische Landesbank.
The latest contender to challenge for the title of world’s largest merchant PV plant will be an 80MW project in the Antifagasto region of Chile to be built by Greenwood Energy.
California governor, Jerry Brown, has made an ambitious pledge for the state to be 50% powered by renewable energy within 15 years, in a speech given on Monday as he was sworn into office for a record fourth term.
