Household solar systems have taken hold in Laos, but PV deployment on a grand-scale is being held back by a focus on hydropower, according to delegates at the Solar & Off-Grid Renewables Southeast Asia Event, in Bangkok.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced US$4 million in new investments for off-grid solar in Africa during the COP22 conference in Marrakesh, Morocco.
The soon-to-be-merged Tesla and SolarCity have completed a solar-plus-storage microgrid on an island in American Samoa that will reduce the local population’s reliance on costly and cumbersome diesel imports.
The Obama administration is continuing a last-ditch push for renewables in the announcement of international clean energy funding and initiatives in a host of new incentives and international agreements that don’t require Congress’ consent.
Leading pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar provider PEG Africa has raised US$1.5 million in debt financing that will provide for enough solar home systems for 75,000 residents in Ghana.
Phoenix Solar joins Singapore-based floating PV testers, GIPCL issues LoIs to Vikram Solar over 80MW in Gujarat, Brazil solar industry needs BRL6 billion after December auction, Altus Power starts 6.2MW solar plant construction in Hawaii,
Community solar is emerging as an auspicious new source of demand in the US, opening up access to solar among previously excluded groups. Ethical Electric, a Washington-based renewable energy company providing 100% clean electricity to retail customers, recently launched a community solar division under the new name of CleanChoice Energy to get on board with the disruption. Managing director Laura Pagliarulo and chief impact officer Richard Graves discussed with PV Tech the company’s plans, its recent SunShot Initiative award, and how community solar is set to become ‘retail 2.0’.
