Europe
Fraunhofer ISE displays colored solar car roof at auto trade fair
An increasing number of carmakers and research institutes are developing concepts that combine e-mobility and solar. Thus far, range additions from in-car panels of between 10 and 60km are the limit of innovation. The Fraunhofer roof is tinted with a color that hides the cells but lets through most of the light.
Sep 3, 2019 // Transport, Toyota, Germany, Hyundai, Europe, Fraunhofer ISE, PV module, International Motor Show
Food crops do better in the shade of solar panels
Another study has highlighted the advantages of combining solar with agriculture. According to the paper, growing chiltepin pepper, jalapeno and cherry tomato in dryland areas of the U.S. under the shade of PV modules is not only possible, but can lead to a better harvest.
Sep 3, 2019 // Technology, PV panels, Europe, University of Arizona, Greg Barron-Gafford, Margit Deimel
Germany added 292 MW of solar in July
Demand for systems with a generation capacity of up to 750 kW is driving the market. The 52 GW capacity cap for solar under the national FIT scheme is approaching. In September, feed-in tariffs and market premiums will fall a further 1.4%.
Sep 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Tariffs, Germany, Europe, Federal Network Agency
PV cheaper than spot market electricity across Europe
The levelized cost of energy produced by large scale PV projects ranges from €24/MWh in southern Spain to €42/MWh in Finland. New research states that is already cheaper than the average spot market electricity price and that the figure for big facilities in southern Spain may fall to €14 in 2030 and €9 in 2050.
Sep 3, 2019 // Technology, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Europe, Christian Breyer, Lappeenranta University of Technology
France sets scene for decade-long PV boom with 2GW auction push
France has laid the groundwork for a new period of solar growth with the announcement of three new government solar auctions for 2020.
Sep 2, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Rooftop PV, France, tender, ground-mounted pv, Europe, rooftop PV
Greek-German governments agree on 10-year green investment plan
Greece’s prime minister visited the German chancellor yesterday in Berlin and reached an agreement to set up an investment strategy that encompasses renewable energy.
Sep 1, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Greece, Germany, Europe, Angela Merkel, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, George Stassis, Akuo Energy, juwi
Scatec reaches commercial operation for another 112 MW of capacity
The Norwegian developer has opened plants in Ukraine and Egypt. Scatec Solar recently announced it managed to triple energy production in the last year.
Sep 1, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Residential, Tariffs, Raymond Carlsen, Scatec Solar, Ukraine, Europe, Asia, Africa, Egypt, Oslo
‘Energy storage is not enough, a renewables grid needs flexible gas back-up’
The managing director of London-based energy infrastructure company Statera has told pv magazine a clean energy grid in the U.K. will require as much flexible gas plant capacity as battery storage.
Sep 1, 2019 // Plants, Storage, Grids, storage, UK, Europe, flexible gas plant, Statera, Tom Vernon
Octopus adds 300,000 customers and launches community energy JV
Another large scale transaction by the electricity and gas supplier has enhanced its standing in the U.K. energy market, with the business now counting more than one million customers.
Sep 1, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, UK, Europe, London, Octopus Energy, Midcounties Co-operative, Co-op Energy, Phil Ponsonby
IHS Markit: Trackers to account for a third of PV installations
New analysis predicts more than 150 GW of tracker capacity will be installed in the next five years – around a third of all ground mount projects up to 2024. Rapid growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and the better cost structures possible from combining trackers and bifacial modules are singled out as key trends.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, USA, India, China, Australia, IHS Markit, Europe, Asia, Convert, Oceania, Trina Solar, North America, Soltec, bifacial modules, PV Hardware, Ideematec, Nextracker, Array Technologies
Shrimp and PV goes together like peas and carrots
With the benefits solar panels can bring to cropland being considered in Europe, PV and aquaculture are working in tandem in Vietnam. Shrimp and fish farming requires land and lots of water but solar panels are helping mitigate those demands.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Solar Panels, Europe, Asia, Fraunhofer ISE, Vietnam, Shrimp, Viet Uc Seafood, Maximilian Trommsdorff, SMA Sunbelt Energy GmbH, Suntrace GmbH
Mini series: ‘Today, it’s not just the energy that you produce’
While based in Munich in Germany’s south, renewable asset management software provider 3megawatt’s first major clients were in the United States. However, as the European markets have transitioned beyond feed-in tariffs to the complexity of subsidy-free solar and wind arrays, the understanding of the need for asset management tools is rapidly increasing, says 3megawatt founder and CEO Edmee Kelsey.
Aug 29, 2019 // Tariffs, Software, Opinions, USA, Germany, Europe, North America, tariffs, Munich, Edmee Kelsey, 3megawatt
BayWa r.e., Statkraft team up for Spanish subsidy-free solar successor
Two sponsors of one of Spain’s iconic subsidy-free plants have sealed a deal to deploy a smaller successor in the same area, planned again without support from government money.
Aug 29, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Spain, pv power plants, solar pv, Europe, subsidy-free solar, baywa r.e., Dr Benedikt Ortmann
BBOXX closes US$50 million funding round led by Mitsubishi
BBOXX has successfully closed a US$50 million Series D funding round that will see the next generation utility company accelerate its global expansion efforts.
Aug 29, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Germany, Europe, Africa, bboxx, mitsubishi, Mansoor Hamayun, PowerGen Renewable Energy, Rafiki Power, E.on SE
JA Solar provides 33.1MW of mono-PERC panels to Scythia-Solar-2 project in Ukraine
‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member, JA Solar has supplied 33.1MW of mono-PERC panels to Ukraine-based project developer, UDP Renewables for the Scythia-Solar-2 PV power plant in the Zaporizhia region of the country.
Aug 29, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Ukraine, UDP Renewables, pv power plants, SMSL, JA Solar, pv modules, Europe
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