Commercial & Residential Solar

Asset management fund Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) has bolstered its portfolio with two sub-5MW projects after confirming a third interim dividend for the year.

Chinese tier-one module supplier ReneSola has signed a deal to supply 30MW of solar modules to Cofely Solar Technics, which will be used to develop a utility-scale project in Nottinghamshire.

Solar investment firm Foresight Solar Fund has completed the acquisition of majority stakes in three solar parks with a combined capacity of 34MW from Belectric subsidiary Big60Million.

Just 21MW of large-scale commercial rooftop installations were completed in Q2 2015 – the lowest quarterly deployment within the bracket in two years – prompting the Solar Trade Association to lament the “underperforming” market.

Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) has shrugged off Wednesday’s announcement that Renewables Obligation support for sub-5MW projects is to be closed a year earlier than planned, insisting it will not have an impact on its business.

Plans to develop a 2.63MW solar farm next to a recycling plant in Reigate, Surrey, are to be deliberated by Reigate and Banstead Borough Council.

Japanese car manufacturer Nissan is to learn the fate of its plan to develop a 4.8MW solar farm at its Wearside manufacturing facility in Sunderland next week.

The judges for this year’s Solar Power Portal Awards have been confirmed.

Solar Impulse might have stolen this year’s headlines for solar-powered transport, however a 60-strong team of engineers at Cambridge University is aiming to match the aircraft’s successful summer when it competes in October’s Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.

Energy storage can become a “significant” component for future balancing of the National Grid, but must overcome policy challenges if it is to realise its potential.