Malaysia to grant 4-year PPA extensions to bidders in large-scale solar tender
The Malaysian authorities have revealed that they will extend power purchase agreements from the fourth LSS4 tender for large-scale PV from 21 to 25 years.
New solar capacity 10 times cheaper than gas, says Rystad
Operating gas-fired power plants would be 10 times more expensive in the long-term than building new solar capacity in Europe, according to research from intelligence company Rystad. Their study uses the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for gas and coal-fired power generation at different price levels and compares it to the LCOE of solar PV and wind.
Globalized supply chains saved $67 billion in solar panel production costs
A new study has calculated that the globalized PV module supply chain has saved billions for PV installers in Germany, the US and China. It also found that if strong nationalistic policies that limit the free flow of talent and capital were implemented going forward, solar panel costs would be 20-25% higher by 2030.
Cooling down solar modules by increasing space between panel rows
A US research team claims to have demonstrated that increasing the spacing of solar panels between rows improves PV system efficiency and economics by allowing airflow to cool down the modules. The method could improve a project’s LCOE by as much as 2.15% in certain climates.
Vietnam set to open renewable energy market to PPAs
The Vietnamese government has been working on a scheme to allow bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs) since 2020. The start of the pilot scheme has been delayed and is now expected for the first quarter of 2023. The official program would launch in 2025.
Four injured in solar thermal plant accident
Four people who were carrying out inspection work at the Chilean Cerro Dominador solar thermal plant have suffered burns due to a high-temperature water leak. Two are in intensive care.
Brazil hits 14 GW milestone in the distributed generation sector
The Brazilian Association of Distributed Generation (ABGD) has announced that the sector reached the 14 GW milestone. Installed capacity grew from 13 GW to 14 GW in just over a month, “the fastest growth ever recorded,” the association claims.
Space-based solar power for terrestrial energy needs
The Cassiopeia solar project aims to use the sunlight collected by a space satellite for terrestrial energy needs. The electricity generated would be converted to radio frequency microwave radiation transmitted to an antenna on Earth. The initial LCOE would be €48 ($47.8)/MWh, according to a UK study.
Alpine vs. urban solar
A group of Swiss researchers has shown that optimized alpine PV installations could offer revenues that are on average 20% higher than those of standard, urban, installations. Furthermore, they found that the Swiss Alps have the potential to host about 1 GW of solar capacity offering revenues 33% higher.
Netherlands may add 3.3 GW of new solar this year
According to state-run agency RVO, solar may reach 17.6 GW of installed capacity by year-end, thus becoming able to cover more than 12% of the country’s electricity demand.
