Markets

With California’s NEM 3.0 legislation having gutted panel sales and Arizona heading a bevy of other US states preparing to reduce solar-export payments, it’s time the United States solar industry stepped up, for ourselves as well as our customers.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and China Huadian Corp. have agreed to install 160 MW of PV in Bangladesh. The solar facility will be deployed in an area that was originally designated to host a coal power plant.

Grew Energy has started building a 3.2 GW ingot-module factory in India. The facility will produce 2.8 GW of ingots, wafers, and cells per year, along with 3.2 GW of high-efficiency PV modules.

A group of scientists in Thailand has outlined a new approach to avoid oversizing and overvoltage in energy markets applying volt-watt droop curtailment strategies. The novel methodology leads to a reduction in a PV system’s net present value but also increases its levelized cost of energy.

The European Commission has shared updated documents with its member states for speeding up permitting procedures and designing auctions for renewables. It includes the use of non-price criteria in auctions, which the commission says will allow higher value-added projects to be rewarded.

Heavy rains recently triggered floods in Brazil’s Rio Grande do Sul state when Lake Guaíba and the Taquari River and Uruguay River overflowed, reaching more than 5.30 meters and affecting more than 1.95 million people. The death toll stands at 143, with 125 still missing. The authorities still have yet to assess the losses from submerged or affected PV plants.

Consortia featuring subsidiaries of Chinese solar module maker Longi and Chinese industrial conglomerate Shanghai Electric have withdrawn from a public procurement tender for a solar park in Romania. The European Commission opened two anti-subsidy investigations into their involvement, which have now been closed.

Greece added 1.59 GW of new solar capacity last year, and projections for the current year look strong. Curtailment remains the sector’s thorniest issue, however.

A scoping review examining the barriers to residential PV installations in South Africa says that no studies have considered how income effects the the likelihood of households adopting rooftop solar. The researchers claim this is “a glaring omission given debates on just transitions.”

The authorities in Georgia are soliciting consultants for a 6.13 MW solar plant. The consultants will prepare a feasibility study and technical specifications. The deadline for applications is June 10.