France sees minimal solar energy price fall after another under-subscribed commercial and industrial tender
The procurement round secured an average solar power price of €96.49/MWh from arrays with a generation capacity of 100-500 kW, a small fall from the €97.48 posted in the previous exercise. Only 150 MW of generation capacity was allocated in the 300 MW tender.
Innovative PV modules at Intersolar San Diego
In sunny San Diego for Intersolar 2020, we’re seeing a new idea for tracking rooftop solar modules, diodes moving to cell level, two types of building-integrated solar products and some solar hot water.
How solar parks change landscape perception
New research based on participatory photography and focus groups has shown how solar parks can change people’s landscape perception through a number of factors, not exclusively visual. According to the study, people that see landscapes in an idyllic way tend to oppose the presence of a solar park, while people with a more utilitarian concept of the rural landscape show stronger acceptance.
A new solar desalination system to address water scarcity
The GivePower non-profit founded by Tesla subsidiary SolarCity is supplying solar-powered desalination systems to some of the world’s neediest communities, backed by Tesla’s Powerwall battery technology.
India commissioned 7,592 MW of new renewables in first nine months of the fiscal year
Capacity additions for the current fiscal year are set to exceed the previous accounting period’s 8,532 MW. With $5.69 billion invested in clean energy in the last fiscal year, spending in the first nine months of 2019-20 has been estimated at $5.16 billion.
Dutch grid operator expects up to 34 GW of solar by 2030
Under Tennet’s most optimistic outlook, solar generation capacity could more than double the volume of wind farms by the end of the decade, provided the Netherlands goes above and beyond Paris Agreement climate change requirements.
Pakistan Post wants solar
The postal operator, which is present in 12,000 locations nationwide, wants PV facilities to power its operations. Bidders have until February 20 to deliver on a call for expressions of interest and pre-qualify for the tender.
Bangladesh prepares to tender solar rooftops on public buildings
The government will reportedly be ready to tender contracts to install rooftop PV on its buildings across eight divisions of the nation in as little as three months’ time.
German coal mines could host 3 GW of floating PV
Research institute the Fraunhofer ISE has estimated the technical potential of floating PV at mining sites in Germany at around 56 GW. With floating projects 10-15% more costly than land-based alternatives, researchers have called for further incentives, such as the staging of ‘innovation tenders’.
Testing floating PV with tracking systems
French water management agency Société du Canal de Provence (SCP) is planning an innovative floating project to test its combination with a solar tracking system. The 250 kW project was awarded a fixed tariff in a special tender for innovative PV projects held by The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in February 2018. The plant will be deployed on a water surface managed by SCP in Southern France.
