About: solar photovoltaics
Solar power boom clouded by rising costs, global supply chain squeeze
Global solar power developers are slowing down project installations because of a surge in costs for components, labour, and freight as the world economy bounces back from the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry executives and analysts. The situation suggests slower...
EU building ‘renovation wave’ set for launch in September
The European Commission’s energy chief, Kadri Simson, has flagged the upcoming building renovation wave, rooftop solar, and offshore wind as key priorities for the energy sector in the recovery phase from the coronavirus crisis.
India takes lion’s share of EU bank funding for solar power
The European Investment Bank (EIB) signed an agreement last Friday (9 March) to provide €800 million for clean energy projects in India, one day before an International Solar Alliance summit took place in Delhi.
Accelerating the path towards ‘solar energy 3.0’
Europe is currently in the first stage of photovoltaic solar development. Moving to the next phases, 2.0 and 3.0, will require a smart new Green Deal that avoids the “boom-and-bust” developments of the past and leverages private investment to achieve high renewable energy goals, writes Stefan Degener.
Carbon footprint of solar panels under microscope
As the COP22 opens this week in Marrakesh, recent news about solar power has been positive, with record-breaking tariffs reflecting the fast-declining price of solar electricity. But even solar plants can come with a heavy environmental footprint, writes Andreas Wade.
EU reopens China solar dumping probe
EU regulators opened a probe into the solar power panel industry in China, the European Commission said on Friday (29 May), in response to accusations that Chinese companies were dodging import duties by exporting via Taiwan and Malaysia.
Solar could be cheaper than coal and gas by 2025, study says
EXCLUSIVE: Solar power will be cheaper than coal or gas by 2025 in sunnier regions of the EU, according to a study published the day before the European Commission launches its Energy Union plans.
Vanheukelen: ‘Plenty of concerns’ about Chinese solar retaliation
The head of EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht’s cabinet has told EURACTIV that the bloc has many worries about a clean-tech trade war with China over unfair subsidisation of solar panels, but that its hands are tied.
China accuses EU of breaching world trade rules over solar panels
An escalating row between solar panel makers stepped up a gear on Monday ( 5 November) when China complained to the World Trade Organisation that Italy and Greece had unfairly favoured domestic suppliers.
Solar industry pushing for anti-dumping case against China
A trade row between Brussels and Beijing over claims that China has unfairly priced its solar panels for export could be just weeks away.
Europe’s solar industry growth ‘cannot last forever’
Europe’s solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is “weathering a period of uncertainty” and growth rates are likely to stall, according to the industry’s Global Market Outlook for Photovoltaics until 2016, released today (9 May).
Solar recession claims another victim
The German solar power company Q-Cells filed for insolvency yesterday (3 April), the fourth such firm to go bankrupt in four months, as the solar recession gathers pace.
Germany announces up to 30% cuts in solar subsidies
The German government has agreed to accelerate the next round of cuts in state-mandated photovoltaic incentives by three months to April 1 after a record-breaking expansion of solar power in 2011.
Solar subsidies to be cut by more than half
Britain's solar subsidies will be dramatically cut by more than half, according to government documents that were prematurely published online and quickly taken down.
Low-cost imports from China fuel boom in solar panels
British homeowners are increasingly able to build greener homes by using cheap solar panels from China, but western workers are paying the price with a wave of corporate collapses and layoffs among green energy firms.
European solar power to be competitive by 2020, says lobby
European solar module-generated power may take until the end of the decade to compete with conventional forms of energy across Europe for cost, the world's biggest solar association said yesterday (5 September).
EPIA: Red tape hindering Europe’s solar PV take off
Despite generous feed-in tariffs and abundant sunshine, Greece and Portugal are "pioneers" when it comes to bureaucratic hurdles to solar PV deployment, said Eleni Despotou of the European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA).
Special Report: Big boys enter solar race
Traditionally a market reserved for niche players, the solar sector is now drawing increasing interest from energy behemoths like General Electric and Total as well as unexpected new investors like Google.