Europe

Hevel Solar and Russian hydropower company Rushydro have signed off on an agreement to develop a hybrid, hydro-PV installation at the Nizhne-Bureyskaya hydropower facility in the Amur Oblast of Russia.

PV developer EnBW has commenced work on the first of many PV projects that will form part of an 800MW solar portfolio.

Solaria bags financing for 250MW of renewables in Spain, Tata Power Solar launches rooftop solution in Cochin and Chennai, FRV provides solar to schools in Sierra Leone.

ROTH Capital Partners has become increasingly bullish on a strong rebound in global solar demand in 2019, led by competitive pricing dynamics with other energy sources and increasing optimism that China will provide good subsidy support for solar in 2019 and onwards.

Cubico Sustainable Investments has closed the financing for two solar projects in Portugal totalling 29.4MW.

China-based PV firm ReneSola has secured a €13.4 million bridge financing agreement with Eiffel Energy Transition Fund for solar projects including 41.3MW in Hungary and 55MW in Poland.

The corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) market is currently struggling from a “large gulf” in understanding that standardised contracts could solve, but the industry is still a “long way off” from introducing them.

Chinese inverter manufacturer Growatt has opened its fifth hub in Europe as it continues to target overseas markets.

The continued growth of the secondary solar market on a pan-European scale will result in “exciting times” for the sector, but big utilities are unlikely to stay on the sidelines.

Corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) for renewable energy swelled to 13.4GW in 2018, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).