Utility Scale PV

Sun Exchange is seeking to deploy 1 GW of solar power projects in Africa the next five years as it further expands its user base. Sun Exchange CEO Abraham Cambridge spoke to pv magazine about how the company will use its newly acquired funds.

Closed-loop pumped-hydro storage offers more chances to minimize environmental effects on water sources and overcomes the problem of finding suitable sites. According to an Australian research team, closed-loop systems could prevail on open-loop systems in the future and this trend is confirmed by another group of scientists from the United States.

Scientists in Germany developed a method to determine the structure and degradation of module backsheets and encapsulants in the field, by analyzing the material’s near infrared light transmission. Applying the theory to a multi-MW PV plant, the group was able to identify four different backsheet types. With further development, the method could be a valuable tool to monitor module degradation in the field and spot faults early on.

U.S. based renewables investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners this week announced that it has acquired a 350 MW PV and storage project set to be built in the Southeast of England. The project has already received planning permission from the UK government, and its new owner expects to begin construction in the first half of 2022.

Australian Vanadium Ltd. has appointed a Western Australian engineering company to begin the first stage of what it says will be the country’s first vanadium electrolyte manufacturing plant.

JA Solar published data comparing its own modules, based on the 182mm wafer format, with others utilizing the larger 210mm size over a six month period in field testing. The data show that the smaller of the two formats reached an average daily energy yield almost 2% higher. According to JA Solar’s analysis, the higher currents produced by the 210mm modules led to higher resistance, and more energy lost as heat.

The PPA was awarded by French utility EDF. The facility relies on a 55 MW solar unit, a 16 MW electrolyzer, storage tanks and 3 MW of fuel cells.

Interested developers will have time until October 30 to submit their bids. The tender’s final results will be announced by January 28.

The Algerian authorities aim to launch a new solar tender by the end of October. The procurement exercise will be divided into 10 lots, ranging from 80 MW to 180 MW each. One Algerian think tank has said that it expects prices ranging from DZD 5/kWh ($0.036) to DZD 7/kWh.

Uganda wants to take advantage of its large water resources for renewable energy development. It is now seeking consultants to assess its floating PV potential.