Europe

According to GTM Research, global solar PV installations are expected to surpass 104GW in 2018, despite the top four markets, including China, forecasted to decline collectively by 7%.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE has teamed with PV manufacturing equipment specialist, SCHMID Group on lower cost BIPV modules that could reduce production costs by as much as 35%.

India-based EPC firm Sterling and Wilson has forayed into hybrid power plants and energy storage solutions and is already in advanced discussions for its first such projects in Africa and Europe.

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will visit the UK on 18 April during which he will welcome the European country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as its newest member.

Inverter shipments in Europe suggest the continent is braced for another strong period of growth in 2018.

A UK start-up is launching a pontoon manufacturing facility in Cumbria with a capacity equivalent of 12MW.

All 200MW of Germany’s latest wind and solar tender has been awarded to PV projects.

The US is expected to remain the world’s biggest market for energy storage until 2022, with China its closest rival, GTM Research has said.

Hevel Group is to build a 1 MW solar power plant at one of the remote mines located in Khabarovsk region (Russia’s Far East) for precious metals mining group Polymetal, to reduce reliance on diesel power generation.

BayWa r.e. and Statkraft sign 15-year contract for 1500V project near Seville.