Minister highlights Bangladesh’s lack of land for solar
Junior power minister Nasrul Hamid, speaking at a signing ceremony for a planned 100 MW project, warned technology would have to develop to require less surface area for solar modules, although he did say Dhaka would fund research into rooftop solar.
GCL shareholders to vote on further 670 MW of project sales
Shareholders will vote on whether to approve the sale of ten solar farms to generate $320 million towards paying down its heavy debt pile.
Construction begins on Europe’s largest floating PV plant
The plant is being built by Dutch developer Groenleven on a former sand extraction lake in the northern Netherlands. The company’s project manager for floating PV, Willem Biesheuvel, told pv magazine about its approach to deploying floating arrays always with a west-east orientation, which he claims ensures more stability and resistance to wind and waves.
Panasonic combines hydrogen fuel cell generators with PV and storage
The pilot project is combining hydrogen fuel cell generators with a combined capacity of 500 kW with a 570 kW solar array and 1.1 MWh of lithium-ion batteries. It is planned to come online in the spring of 2022.
Water-free, portable cleaning bot for rooftop solar
India’s Aegeus Technologies has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning bot for rooftop solar installations. The bot weighs 5 kg (with battery) and can be operated remotely through a web-based app. It uses an air wash technology to clean the panels, ensuring no need for water or any harmful chemicals.
Axpo Italy chief says country is catching up with European private-PPA peers
Two PV farms planned in Sicily by Canadian Solar, with a total 12 MWp generation capacity, will sell the electricity they produce to Axpo Italia under a ten-year PPA at a fixed rate which the Chinese-Canadian company did not reveal.
Solar dried up in North Africa during 2020
Politicians across the continent will have to decide between their heavily-indebted state utilities or embracing the energy transition, according to one energy analyst.
Romania preps auction scheme for large-scale solar, renewables
The scheme is expected to be issued within 18 months. According to law firm Schoenherr Romania, there is a growing appetite for large-scale solar projects in the country among investors.
IEA highlights solar’s dependence on Chinese copper processing
The sheer volume of new power lines which will be required to accommodate the rising tide of solar installations ensures copper has been included by the International Energy Agency on its list of minerals which must keep flowing if the energy transition is to stay on course. And it’s not production that’s the potential bottleneck.
Rooftop solar uptake in India: Challenges and way forward
Poor and piecemeal implementation of net metering policies is a major roadblock for the uptake of rooftop solar system in India, according to a new report by Asian Development Bank.
