Europe

Embattled PV developer Solarstrom has confirmed that its UK arm has entered administration.

New figures highlight the contrasting fortunes of the solar energy sector in Germany and the US.

The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from both solar PV and onshore wind in Germany are expected to decline below that of fossil fuels by 2030, according to a new study conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE.

The growth of installed solar energy capacity in Greece remained almost non-existent in the second half of 2013 with no new large projects added in December at all as a government moratorium took hold.

The German cabinet approved a new charge on self-consumed solar power on Wednesday.

The EU has proposed a binding 27% renewable energy target for 2030 and a 40% emissions reduction goal.

France’s President Francois Hollande has called for an ‘Airbus’ style model of collaboration for the European solar industry.

The UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) wants ‘established’ renewables to compete against each other for support under its upcoming contracts for difference (CfD) regime.

SolarWorld’s chairman and chief executive, Frank Asbeck, has sold five tranches of shares in the company in the last week, taking his shareholding to 19.72%, according to financial filings.

Power generated by photovoltaics systems covered 4.5% of Germany’s total electricity production last year, according to estimates released by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).