News

Using machine learning and cheap satellite data to design rooftop solar power
Researchers have built a tool to use cheap satellite imagery – like Google Maps – to automatically create solar designs with a 91% accuracy rate.
Aug 13, 2019 // Technology, rooftop, Google Maps, Clean Coalition, power grid maps, University of Massachusetts, LIDAR, Project Sunroof
Vattenfall joins solar-plus-wind-plus-storage advocates with Dutch project
Vattenfall has added its name to the swelling list of proponents of solar-plus-wind-plus-storage, unveiling plans for its first ever triple hybrid.
Aug 13, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, hybrid, Europe, solar-plus-storage, Netherlands, Vattenfall, solar-plus-wind
US ROUND-UP: Gap diversifies; 125MW PPA in MI; Military-funded space solar; Solar bees
Global retail brand Gap moved one step closer to its goal of fully renewably-powered operations by 2030 after signing a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Enel Green Power North America. It has purchased 90MW of energy from the renewables giant's North Dakota wind project for a period of 12 years.
Aug 13, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Solar, USA, SunPower, plants, Michigan, cleanchoice energy, solar bees, Antonio Cammisecra, air force, university of toledo, solar space, upper peninsula power company, power purchase agreement, orion renewable energy group, map energy, gap, North Dakota, enel green power, the chandler solar project, North America
Wuxi Suntech ranked seventh in BloombergNEF bankability survey
China-based PV module manufacturer, Wuxi Suntech Power Co has been ranked seventh highest in the latest Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BloombergNEF) ‘Solar Module & Inverter Bankability 2019’, report.
Aug 13, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, China, pv modules, plants, longi solar, pv moduletech, investment, finance, Wuxi Suntech Power Co, He Shuangquan, PV-Tech
Neoen touts 50MW victory in Portugal’s momentous PV auction
Neoen has shed light on its winning project in Portugal’s head-turning solar auction this summer, a tender consultants now say illustrates a new, bolder attitude towards merchant risks.
Aug 13, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Tariffs, Portugal, solar pv, plants, Europe, neoen, auction prices, auction ppas, largescale2020
AIIM, Nedbank to co-fund 40MW C&I pipeline in Southern Africa
Commercial and industrial (C&I) solar is set for a boost in South Africa, with financial support now lined up for a new pipeline.
Aug 13, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, C&I, Africa, nedbank, aiim, african infrastructure investment managers, sola group, eskom, Orionis
LONGi Solar’s bankability ratings top 91% in latest BloombergNEF survey
Solar Module Super League’ (SMSL) member LONGi Solar, a subsidiary of LONGi Green Energy Technology, has achieved its highest ratings to date in the recently released Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) Solar Module & Inverter Bankability 2019, report.
Aug 13, 2019 // Manufacturing News, BNEF, China, pv modules, longi solar, bankability, pv moduletech, investment, finance
USTDA backs 150MW solar-plus-wind-plus-storage project in Zambia
The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has agreed to finance a feasibility study for a 150MW hybrid solar, wind and battery plant in northern Zambia.
Aug 13, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Storage, Grids, First Solar, hybrid, solar-plus-wind-plus-storage, grid, Africa, upepo energy partners, zambia, east africa, ustda, wsp usa
FreeVolt, Apparent partner on solar+storage offerings in California
Newish European-based panel manufacturer FreeVolt has entered into a partnership with California-headquartered energy management company Apparent. FreeVolt’s U.S. installation division FreeVolt USA will team with Apparent to provide solar-plus-storage systems to California homeowners and C&I customers.
Aug 12, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Markets & Finance News, California, USA, CAISO, solar-plus-storage, FreeVolt, Apparent, Jacqueline DeSouza
Affordable Solar installs 2-MWac solar array at Kroger distribution center
Ralphs, a subsidiary of The Kroger Company, announced the installation of a 2-MWac PV solar array at its automated distribution center in Paramount, California, a 555,000-sq-ft building that provides products to 190 Ralphs stores and 95 Food 4 Less stores throughout Southern California.
Aug 12, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, California, USA, Solar Panels, PV solar, Ralphs, Kroger Company, Mike Murphy
Keesler Air Force Base breaks ground on 1.5-MW solar carport
Design-build company NORESCO has broken ground for a 1.5-MW solar carport at Keesler Air Force Base (AFB) in Mississippi, part of a $32.7 million guaranteed energy savings performance contract (ESPC).
Aug 12, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, USA, NORESCO, Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, ESPC, Marcia Quigley, Shawn Walsh
A close look at nature could lead to cheaper hydrogen
Scientists at the Australia National University have observed a key stage in the process of photosynthesis which could be copied to greatly increase the efficiency of sunlight-powered water splitting processes used to produce hydrogen.
Aug 12, 2019 // Technology, Solar to Fuel, USA, Germany, Australia, Europe, hydrogen, Switzerland, Oceania, Australia National University, sunlight-powered water, Max Planck Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Maria Chrysina, North America, Solar to Fuel, Solar to Hydrogen, Producing Hydrogen, Hydrogen from renewable, Renewable fuels
The bearable lightness of solar
The weight of a thin-film rooftop PV installation at Netherlands football club AZ Alkmaar has been highlighted in media reports as a possible cause of a stadium roof collapse. However, a full investigation is yet to be launched and one German specialist said studies have shown flush-mount PV panels do not increase static wind loads on rooftops.
Aug 12, 2019 // BIPV, Technology, Germany, rooftop, Netherlands, AZ Alkmaar’s stadium, Andries Broersma, Hanergy system, Thorsten Kray
Ethiopia aims to set up formula for the calculation of mini-grid tariffs
Ethiopia is currently trying to set up a methodology for the calculation of electricity tariffs for mini-grid systems. Should the government’s work come to fruition, it can provide much-needed certainty to mini-grid investors.
Aug 12, 2019 // Grids, Tariffs, mini-grid systems, Ethiopia, Africa, Hizkyas Dufera, Scaling Solar
Flanders provides incentives for residential storage
Since the beginning of August the Flemish government has granted a €250/kWh rebate for the purchase of domestic batteries. The program is set to run until the end of next year.
Aug 12, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Storage, Europe, domestic batteries, Flanders, Belgium, Engie-Electrabel, Lydia Peeters