Markets

In its report, Renewable Energy Outlook: Egypt, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) envisages a scenario in which solar becomes the second largest energy source in the country, after gas. If current plans and RE strategies are maintained, however, just 9 GW will be installed by 2030, compared 44 GW. The agency recommends a series of actions to achieve a 2030 renewable energy target of 52%.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a new report on different ways global warming can be kept within the 1.5°C limit. The panel seeks to inform policymakers before the upcoming COP24 in Poland this December. Resulting from their analysis, the 91 authors state that drastic action and significant investments are needed. Such climate action across all sectors would have significant positive effects on sustainable development progress, they say.

The Kosovar Ministry of Economic Development has recently announced a plan to transfer 100 MW to 120 MW of licenses from hydro, to solar and wind. The latter, however, is expected to comprise the largest share, according to the country’s revised plans for renewables and energy, which envisage just 30 MW of solar by the end of 2020.

In the first in a series of interviews on the topic of renewable energy and geopolitics, Indra Overland, head of the Center for Energy Research (NUPI) and Member of the Research Panel, Global Commission on the Geopolitics of the Energy Transition at IRENA, discusses the effects a greater penetration of solar, and other renewable energies, in the global energy mix, could have on world order. Although fossil fuels will continue to play a dominant role in the coming years, sooner or later the geopolitics of energy will cease to be that of gas and oil, according to Overland. Although it is still difficult to predict future scenarios, he believes renewables have the potential to make nations more energy independent, and provide the basis for more peace and stability.

A report by the Brattle Group for Nevada regulators suggests that by 2030 – depending on pricing – 700 to 1,000 MW / 2.8 to 4 GWh worth of energy storage could be cost-effectively deployed statewide.

TOPCon technologies could further increase solar cell efficiencies, said Guangyao Jin, chief scientist, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions, at this year’s Energy Taiwan, held in September. He added that metallization paste is crucial.

Among the pre-selected bidders are big European players, such as Enel, Total and Engie, and big solar manufacturers including JinkoSolar, Hanwha Q Cells and GCL. Further bids have come from big Japanese conglomerates, and companies from Spain, Germany, South Korea and Turkey. The first 350 MW phase of the large-scale solar park is expected to come online by the end of 2020.

According to a study conducted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, companies that use data-driven decision-making are 5% more productive and profitable than their competitors. Jean-Yves Bellet, cofounder and VP-CTO of QOS Energy asks,“Can we apply the results of this study to solar PV operations and maintenance?” Today, solar plant owners expect to generate value from their data using real-time decision-making tools, analytics, and machine learning models.

The Spanish Cabinet has approved a royal decree, which introduces a package of urgent measures to boost the country’s energy transition. It includes the already announced elimination of the “sun tax”, and other important measures, such as compliance with renewable energy objectives, electric vehicle adoption, reduced electricity prices, a social bonus for heating, consumer protection measures, and the extension of an electric social bond.