Solar is gaining traction in MENA region – but plenty of obstacles remain
Solar deployment continued to pick up in the Middle East and North Africa in 2019, the Middle East Solar Industry Association has said in its annual report.
Greece to overhaul licensing regime which puts the brakes on solar
The energy ministry has published a plan to radically simplify the renewable energy permitting process. The new system is expected to come into force as early as next month and will be applied retroactively to address a 22-month backlog in generation license applications.
‘Renewables must grow four times faster to ensure sustainable future’
The share of renewables in the global energy mix must more than double by 2030 for the world to advance the energy transition and achieve sustainable development goals, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Renewable electricity should supply 57% of global power by the end of the decade, up from 26% today.
Mind the gap
Fire safety engineering researchers have demonstrated increasing the gap between the modules of commercial PV arrays and flat roof surfaces is a decisive factor in reducing fire risks. Experiments have identified a critical gap height below which flame spread rate increases significantly.
SolarPower Europe repeats call for solar strategy as part of European Commission’s €1tn Green Deal
Lobby group CEO Walburga Hemetsberger says the plans announced by commission president Ursula von der Leyen this week should place the European solar industry front and center.
US government expects 24 GW of new solar this year
A Department of Energy agency expects 17.4 GW (DC) of utility scale solar power generation capacity plus 6.6 GW of small scale PV will be installed in 2020. That volume would be 60% higher than the record, set in 2016.
Another corporate PPA signed in Italy
Italian steelmaker Acciaierie Venete will buy solar power procured by Swiss energy trader DXT Commodities from a third-party unsubsidized PV plant in Italy under a five-year power purchase agreement.
Power Ledger to integrate blockchain-enabled energy auditing into PV assets
The Australian peer-to-peer energy-trading pioneer has purchased a 250 kW solar system that will use its new energy data management and settlement system to provide greater visibility on renewable energy sold to consumers under power purchase agreements.
Tata Power Solar bags 250 MW PV project from Indian utility NTPC
The project will be built with Indian-made cells and modules. It will likely be completed within the next 20 months.
Unrealistic price signals and an explosion of tenders hinder African PV
French thinktank the Institut Montaigne says Africa is absent from the global solar revolution for several reasons including a lack of suitable financing tools, the small size of projects and a systematic recourse to tendering. Removing artificial price signals set by ever more competitive tenders could be a step towards a more mature market, ready for large scale solar tenders.
