Europe

IKEA will extend its residential solar offering into eight new markets in the next 18 months following the success of the scheme in the UK.

Energy storage may not be cost effective in Germany in helping the transition to a higher grid penetration of renewable energy until that penetration level reaches as high as 90%, according to a leading think tank.

Global PV manufacturer, SunEdison and its yield co spin-off, TerraForm, have completed the connection of two solar power plants in the UK, totalling 50MW.

German PV systems are regularly generating more power than expected, according to researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE).

The China National Building Materials Group Corporation (CNBM) has completed its acquisition of German CIS thin-film module manufacturer Avancis.

Trade body the European Photovoltaic Industry Association has called on the European Council to set binding renewable energy targets for individual EU countries at its next meeting.

Clean energy fund manager Glennmont Partners has raised €500 million (US$657 million). The fund, Glennmont’s second, exceeded its €450 million target.

Shunfeng Photovoltaic, the owner of module maker Suntech, has purchased insolvent German project developer SAG Solarstrom for €65 million (US$85.4 million).

Module manufacturer, Yingli Green Energy is to supply 66MW of its modules to large scale UK solar projects.

UK-based merchant solar wafer producer, PV Crystalox Solar reported increased shipments and revenue but margin decline due to lower wafer selling prices and stable polysilicon purchase pricing led to a loss in the first half of 2014.