Australia’s first utility-scale solar farm marks 10th anniversary
Australia’s first utility-scale solar PV project is marking its 10th anniversary this month. The milestone highlights the pace and scale of the country’s transition to a renewables-led future.
Impact of vertical PV on grasslands
A French consortium has commissioned an 89 kWp pilot project featuring 252 vertically installed solar panels. The companies are now trying to assess the impact of vertical bifacial solar panels on grasslands.
New tool to simulate climate at utility-scale PV project sites
Scientists in China have designed a new methodology to simulate the near-surface climate of utility-scale PV plants. Their findings suggest that the new tool could be used to design more climate-friendly solar parks.
TotalEnergies, Marubeni switch on 800 MW of solar in Qatar
TotalEnergies, QatarEnergy, and Marubeni have switched on Qatar’s first large-scale solar plant in Al Kharsaah, west of Doha. The Siraj-1 plant features 2 million Longi Hi-MO 4 bifacial modules mounted on single-axis trackers.
Australian agency on track with ‘world-first’ grid connections simulator
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said it plans to launch a connections simulator this year after completing pilot tests for an online tool designed to accelerate the evaluation and approval process for new clean energy grid connections.
LevelTen’s European solar PPA index rose to €68.57/MWh in Q3
Prices rose in all European energy markets between July and September, according to a new report by LevelTen Energy. Germany and Poland recorded the highest prices, while Spain and Finland recorded the lowest. Solar PPA prices rose by 15.4% – almost twice as much as wind prices.
World’s largest single-phase battery goes online in California
Axium Infrastructure and Canadian Solar have developed a 350 MW/1400 MWh energy storage system in California.
Solar, wind compensate for decline of hydro, nuclear in EU electricity output
E3G and Ember said in a new study that solar and wind have helped to mitigate the impacts of drought across the European Union, amid a 21% decline in hydropower generation and a 19% reduction of available nuclear capacity. Wind and solar generated a record 24% of the bloc’s electricity from March to September.
RenewSys unveils 590 W bifacial solar module
India’s RenewSys has released its DESERV Extreme series of bifacial PV modules, with front-side power outputs ranging from 565 W to 590 W. The modules are built with half-cut, monocrystalline PERC cells.
Ireland’s first PPA for large-scale solar
Allied Irish Banks will buy electricity from two solar parks that NTR is now developing. The power purchase agreement has a duration of 15 years.
