• April 11, 2023

Serbia's Ministry of Mines and Energy has announced that the country's largest photovoltaic facility has been put into commercial operation in the city of Lapovo in the Šumadija district of central Serbia. Energy Minister Dubravka Đedović said: "The DeLasol solar power plant is the largest photovoltaic installation in Serbia and an example of how we can use solar energy while improving the security and environmental protection of power supply." The 12.5-hectare plant has an installed capacity of 9.9 MW and uses about 18,000 bifacial modules from an undisclosed manufacturer. The project developer is MT-Komet in Belgrade.

• April 07, 2023

The South Korean government said its tax rebate for building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems had risen from 13.4% to 15%, but its rebate for traditional rooftop PV systems had dropped from 50% to 47%. South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) has allocated 244.7 billion won ($185.5 million) for its tax rebate program for rooftop photovoltaic systems and other small-scale renewable energy systems. The department began accepting applications from homeowners and businesses on April 3. MOTIE said its rebate for the BIPV system has increased from 13.4% to 15%. However, it has reduced rebates on traditional rooftop PV systems from 50% to 47%. About 48.9 billion won of the total budget will go to detached houses and multi-unit homes, while 61.1 billion won will go to commercial buildings. Another 140 billion won will be allocated to projects that combine two different renewable energy technologies.

• April 03, 2023

Both houses of Australia's parliament have approved plans to create a A$15 billion ($10 billion) national reconstruction fund to support domestic manufacturing in industries of the future and reduce the country's reliance on imports. The Australian Federal Government's A$15 billion National Renewal Fund (NRF) - aims to boost investment in onshore manufacturing, including the production of solar panels, batteries and hydrogen electrolyzers. Federal Industry Minister Ed Husic said the fund was "one of the largest peacetime investments in Australia's manufacturing capacity". He claimed the legislation paved the way for increased high-value manufacturing and employment in Australia. NRF will co-invest in projects in a range of strategic industries, including renewable energy and low-emission technologies, resource addition, agriculture, transportation, defense capabilities, and key technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics.

• March 27, 2023

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), global renewable energy installed capacity increased by 295 GW last year, bringing the global total to 3,372 GW. Last year, 191 GW of solar was installed, with growth still largely concentrated in a handful of countries and regions in Asia, the US and Europe, the group said. Asia accounted for 60% of the total additions, with 1.63 TW of renewable energy currently installed. China accounts for nearly half of the world's new renewable energy capacity additions in 2022, at 141 GW. According to IRENA, new additions in North America and Europe in 2022 will be 57.3 GW and 29.1 GW, respectively, and Africa will continue to grow steadily, reaching 2.7 GW, slightly higher than the previous year's value.

• March 20, 2023

The Government of Kenya, in partnership with the Kenya Off-Grid Solar Access Project (KOSAP), is developing 137 solar microgrids in 12 of the country's 14 counties. The project is being funded by the World Bank, which in 2017 approved a $150 million credit from the International Development Association (IDA ) to finance the project. The solar microgrid will power 567 public facilities, including secondary schools, health facilities and administrative offices. They will also power the 380 drilled water pumps. The project will provide electricity to approximately 277,000 homes or 1.5 million people. "Kenya has deployed microgrids to serve communities that are not connected to the main grid," said Davis Chichir, Kenya's cabinet secretary for energy. “Currently, we have approximately 62 microgrids fully operational and 28 more under construction. We hope to deploy many more to close the energy access gap and ensure universal access to electricity by 2030.” The locations of the 137 microgrids will be published in the Official Gazette in April 2022. According to reports, land acquisition is underway under the direction of the National Land Council.

• March 16, 2023

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has started accepting global bids for a 100 MW (AC) floating solar project in the Indian state of Jharkhand. SECI has launched a tender for the construction of a 100 MW (AC) floating solar project at the Getalsud Dam in the Ranchi district of Jharkhand state. The contract will cover the design, supply, construction and commissioning of the floating solar project, as well as plant operation and maintenance for 10 years. The project should be put into production within 18 months after the signing of the contract. SECI has secured financing from the World Bank. Potential bidders have until May 2 to submit their proposals.

• March 13, 2023

According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), India's installed solar capacity has reached 64,380.68 MW as of February 2023. The country's installed wind power capacity also crossed the 42,015.38 MW mark, indicating significant progress in the adoption of renewable energy. India has set an ambitious target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022, 100 GW of which will come from solar. Despite challenges in meeting these targets, the MNRE report shows that significant progress has been made and the country is on track to meet its renewable energy targets. The Indian government has several initiatives to boost the adoption of renewable energy, including policies to encourage the development of solar parks and net metering of rooftop solar installations. The government has also rolled out various schemes to support the installation of solar panels on public buildings, farmland and other areas. India's progress in adopting renewable energy is critical to the country's sustainable development and efforts to combat climate change. The country's growing population and energy needs make the shift to renewable energy all the more important, and the MNRE report highlights that India is heading in the right direction to meet its renewable energy goals.

• February 22, 2023

Snow accumulation has damaged 43 photovoltaic installations of various sizes over the past four years, Japan's National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) said in a new report. The institute urges PV system owners to conduct regular site inspections, use surveillance cameras, and remove snow at an early stage. In its latest study, NITE attributes an increase in reports of snow-related damage to residential PV systems in recent years to snowstorms in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions of Japan. “Over four years, snowfall has caused damage to photovoltaic systems equivalent to the output of residential solar panels on approximately 75,000 homes,” NITE said, while noting that the total capacity of the affected systems was approximately 30 MW. NITE recorded 43 snow and ice-related incidents of residential PV systems between 2018 and 2021. Accidents often involve damage to the frame of the modules, the institute said. In some cases, these systems have an angle of inclination of less than 0.6 degrees, making it harder for snow to slide off the panels, NITE noted. The institute urges PV system owners to conduct regular site inspections, use surveillance cameras, and implement snow removal early on. They also recommend developing a snow removal plan. "Before project planning, it can be a good move to budget for snow removal," said NITE, which makes most of its data available in an open repository.

• February 20, 2023

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), by 2023, the U.S. solar market will add 29.1 GW of utility-scale photovoltaics and 9.4 GW of energy storage projects. Most of the year. EIA researchers predict that U.S. project developers will deploy up to 29.1 GW of solar and up to 9.4 GW of energy storage, driven by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and statewide proposals for renewable energy, This accounts for 70% of the 54.5 GW of new generation capacity added to the US grid this year. The solar market is expected to rebound this year after utility-scale solar projects were delayed in 2022 due to trade concerns arising from the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), according to EIA’s latest monthly update to its annual Generator Report (EIA-860M), The new installed capacity reached 29.1 GW. If all the new capacity comes online as planned, 2023 will be the year with the most new utility-scale PV capacity additions — more than double the current record of 13.4 GW deployed in 2021, the EIA said. U.S. utility-scale solar capacity has been increasing rapidly since 2010. Despite the upward trend maintained over the past decade, the addition of utility-scale solar capacity in 2022 is down 23% compared to 2021. The decline in solar capacity additions was attributed to UFLPA trade issues, broader supply chain disruptions, and other challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, EIA forecasts that the largest clusters of new solar developments will come from Texas (7.7 GW) and California (4.2 GW), which together account for 41% of new planned capacity.