Pilar Sánchez Molina
Key takeaways from Spain’s Foro Solar
The latest edition of Foro Solar, hosted by the Spanish solar association, UNEF, showcased Spain’s advancing market growth, but also highlighted several challenges the country may encounter in the future.
Spanish startup unveils distributed-generation wind-PV system
Soleolico says its new hybrid system uses ultra-light solar panels from Spanish manufacturer Izpitek and wind turbines that follow the wind through a magnetic system. The system is also able to absorb CO2.
Masdar to develop 500 MW of renewables in Tajikistan
W Energy, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) and W Solar, plans to develop 500 MW of clean energy projects in Tajikistan, including floating PV installations.
US solar O&M contract prices averaged $7.90/kW in 2022, says WoodMac
Wood Mackenzie says O&M contract prices for US utility-scale project averaged $7.90/kW in 2022, underscoring the growing fragmentation of the solar O&M segment. However, the rankings of the top three vendors have remained unchanged from 2021.
Chile to become second-largest battery market in Americas after US
Chile is now on track to become the second-largest battery market in the Americas, following the United States. As of this year, the Latin American nation has switched on 12 storage projects, with a total capacity of 1.3 GW. It currently has 85 energy storage projects, totaling 6.4 GW, in various stages of development.
Iberdrola completes Spain’s first hybrid wind-solar plant
Iberdrola has finished building Spain’s first hybrid wind-solar project, featuring a 74 MW solar plant and a 69 MW wind farm.
Mondragon Assembly wins patent litigation case in China
Mondragon Assembly says it has won a patent dispute in China, marking its second successful case in the country in relation to its patented continuous string process.
Pexapark records slight increase in European PPA prices for August
Power purchase agreement (PPA) prices increased by 1.4% on average in Europe in August, according to Pexapark. It says that only nine deals with a combined capacity of 193 MW were closed.
European Parliament sets 24-month limit to approve renewables projects
The European Parliament has approved a 24-month limit for the approval of renewable energy projects, with a requirement that national authorities complete the process within 12 months for installations in “areas conducive to renewables” and within 24 months for projects outside of these areas.
UK allocates 1.9 GW of solar at $59/MWh
The UK government has announced the results of its latest renewable energy auction, originally planned for 2022. It was accessible to installations exceeding 5 MW in size, with 56 solar projects securing 15-year contracts-for-difference (CfDs).
