Smart meters allow excess midday solar energy to be used for hot water systems in Australia
From pv magazine Australia Electricity distributor Endeavour Energy and smart metering company Intellihub have partnered with ten energy retailers to launch the Off Peak Plus program now in operation on the state’s south coast. The program, which so far includes 2,500 homes across Albion Park, essentially allows installed smart meters to dynamically control homes’ hot […]
Solar 101: Three tips about solar tax credits in the US
We are by no means tax pros, but here are three insights to help you see how federal tax credits may benefit your solar project.
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.
French gas supplier enters solar business
France’s Butagaz has become the largest shareholder of French rooftop PV installers Soltea and Solewa.
Australian solar executive highlights importance of software, data
Anson Zhang, the CEO of Australian solar distributor One Stop Warehouse, entered the retail electricity market in 2020 by launching Discover Energy. The move confused many people, but he said the decision was driven by an interest in data.
Solar 101: The basics of net metering for your solar project
The concept of net metering is important to understand, as it affects how long your solar project takes to pay for itself, and how your contractor will design your project. Here’s what you need to know.
Growing interest for PV arrays with eastern and western orientation in Germany
A report from Fraunhofer ISE reveals that the share of PV systems with southern orientation has decreased from 61% in 2000 to 42% in 2019. It also highlights that solar rooftop installations with a tilted angle lower than 20 degrees have increased from just 5% in 2000 to 24% in 2019.
Concrete battery for applications in buildings, rooftop PV
A prototype of a cement-based battery has been developed in Sweden for potential applications in buildings. Its creators claim it could become a solution to store electricity from rooftop PV and they do not exclude that it could also be used for the storage of large-scale renewables.
IEA calls for annual additions of solar PV to reach 630 GW by 2030
According to the International Energy Agency, most of the global reductions in CO2 emissions between now and 2030 would come from technologies available today. In a recent report, the agency sets what it described as a “cost-effective and economically productive” pathway resulting in an energy economy “dominated by renewables like solar and wind.”
