Renewables set to lower UK’s summer demand for grid electricity, says National Grid
Rise in small scale solar contributing towards new trend of falling summertime peak transmission system demand on U.K. grid, says outlook report. Inflexibile gas and nuclear plants may be curtailed to make way for solar and wind.
Pakistan should turn to renewables for energy security – IRENA
With its growing population and rapidly increasing energy needs, Pakistan’s energy security is undermined by the overriding share of imported fossil fuels in its energy mix. But, by turning to its untapped, tremendous solar, wind and biomass potential, the South Asian country could spur social and economic development, while improving energy access, says IRENA.
ABB taps Tigo for MLPE solution across its residential inverter range
The Swiss power electronics giant has announced that its UNO-DM-PLUS string inverters are now operationally compatible with Tigo’s DC optimization technology, which also offers module-level monitoring and rapid shutdown capability.
BBOXX leads on £2.5m crowdfunding scheme to bring affordable PV to Rwanda, Togo and Nigeria
In partnership with online investment platform Lendahand Ethex, British off-grid power specialist BBOXX will seek to raise £2.5 million via a series of retail focused investment offers to garner funds for the roll out of its solar systems in a handful of African countries.
RE generation capacity topped 2,179 GW in 2017 – IRENA
According to the latest statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), global renewable energy (RE) generation capacity hit 2,179 GW last year. Leading the charge were renewable hydro, onshore wind and solar PV.
Sunlight Financial raises $225M for residential solar loans
The US residential solar finance provider sees the capital covering approximately 9,000 solar loans at $25,000 each.
2018: India second largest solar market on back of 113 GW global installations
With 11 GW, India is set to become the second largest solar PV market in 2018, usurping the U.S., as global demand reaches 113 GW, says IHS Markit. It adds that Q4 will be the biggest quarter in history for installations, with 34 GW expected.
Irish wind specialist SSE Airtricity expands into solar
The Irish renewable energy supplier, which is already active in the residential and commercial solar business, has agreed to acquire a 40% stake in rooftop PV installer, Activ8 Solar Energies.
TÜV Rheinland exposes inverter, battery hacking vulnerabilities
Testing from TÜV Rheinland has revealed that PV inverters and battery storage systems are vulnerable to hacking. By changing system parameters, a hacker could potentially cause a battery system to corrode, “making it like a ‘bomb’.”
Israel issues 1.6 GW scheme for rooftop solar
The scheme, set to be implemented over the next three years, includes net metering, FITs for small-scale solar, and a series of tenders.
