china

China has officially overtaken Germany as the world’s leader in installed solar capacity after Beijing confirmed that 15.13GW was added in 2015.

Utility Shenzen Energy has launched the first solar securitised bonds in China, according to BOC International.

Italy’s largest utility, Enel S.p.A., has signed off on a non-binding framework agreement with Bank of China and the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (SINOSURE) to promote the development by Enel’s companies — especially Enel Green Power — of projects across the world, with the added help of Chinese EPC contractors and/or suppliers.

The UK and Germany appear to be increasingly at odds over the future of the solar price undertaking between the EU and China.

China-based PV energy provider United Photovoltaics Group is taking PV manufacturer and PV project developer Hareon Solar Technology to the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission over failure to supply a total of 930MW of PV power plants under a previous agreement.

Solar developer SPI Energy has invested around US$4.6 million in an electric vehicle rental service in China, with the company expected to build branded charging stations and leverage its PV business to finance its growth.

China-based Photovoltaics Energy Provider (PVEP) GCL New Energy, a subsidiary of leading polysilicon and solar wafer producer, GCL-Poly expects to raise approximately US$302 million by way of a rights issue.

China’s government is apparently pressing ahead with plans to trim feed-in tariff rates for on-grid solar from early 2016.

China has set some ambitious targets for solar deployment over the next five years. Frank Haugwitz assesses what policy and power sector reforms will be required to enable these goals to be met.

Global PV capacity is expected to grow by 13% next year, the slowest rate of growth since 2012, according to Mercom Capital’s latest market forecast.