Six takeaways from London’s Energy Live Expo 2018
The government may not fancy solar much, but that won’t stop the sector bouncing back big-time … albeit in two years’ time. Maybe London’s Underground network can help kick-start a desperately needed solar renaissance.
French turn on nuclear opens €45 billion renewables investment opportunity
The French government is expected to show a draft plan on how to achieve nuclear generation reduction plans. After minister Hulot left the government in August, amidst disagreements with Macron’s handling of the nuclear lobby, the parliament has voted for a bill to reduce nuclear generation capacity. If the plans are realized in compliance with the climate targets, solar and wind deployment could grow significantly.
Petroleum Development Oman awards contract for 100 MW PV plant
State owned oil company Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has awarded an independent power producer contract for a 100 MW solar project to a consortium led by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni. Once constructed, the plant will power PDO’s operations in Oman under a 23-year PPA.
Europe’s largest commercial and industrial PV storage testbed launched
Testing lithium-ion, redox flow, and sodium-sulfur technologies, EPC provider CMI Energy wants to establish which types of system, or which combinations, are most suitable for different applications using the 4.2 MWh facility.
Risk of a ‘bridge to nowhere’ effect in Africa’s electrification
A report from the United States’ Rocky Mountain Institute finds more work is needed on the demand side for microgrids and other rural electrification projects in Africa. Such projects, says the report, often focus on building generation capacity, with little consideration for the ability of end users to make good use of energy.
Inverter maker and battery giant charge into US market
German inverter maker SMA has joined forces with China’s BYD after losing US market share to Solaredge, which this year linked up with Kostal to optimize communication interfaces between inverters and storage applications.
Asian market to see 355 GW of solar over five years, despite policy challenges
Despite political hurdles in key markets including China, India and Japan, Asia remains highly active. This year, 59 GW of solar is expected to be installed and due to further system price declines, a phase-out of subsidy schemes can be offset.
Oil company’s lubricant factory goes 100% solar in Dubai
Dubai’s ENOC announced it has completed the construction of a rooftop solar array on its lubricants manufacturing plant in Dubai. The array can cover the complete power demand of the factory. This is not the first time the oil company has turned its head towards solar PV to power its facilities. Already nine petrol stations are equipped with solar canopies for 100% green energy supply, with the company vowing to equip all future petrol stations with such canopies.
Iran’s operational PV capacity reaches 250 MW
According to new numbers released by Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), renewable energies have reached a combined cumulative capacity of 650 MW, with solar representing a 39% of the total.
EU approves France’s new scheme for self-consumption
The European Commission has given the green light to €200 million in public support that will be provided by the French governmnet for approximately 490 MW of renewable energy capacity expected to be deployed under the self-consumption regime. The scheme will be based on technology-neutral tenders.
