High-frequency monitoring of floating PV
Researchers in Brazil have installed a vertical thermistor chain with six temperature loggers beneath a floating PV plant and at a nearby reference site. The system also recorded dissolved oxygen and photosynthetically active radiation to assess environmental impacts.
Panama to include storage in energy auctions
In an exclusive interview with pv magazine, Panamanian Energy Secretary Juan Manuel Urriola said the government will open the electricity market to private investment and revise regulations to enable energy storage. Urriola also emphasized the importance of long-term planning and transparent bidding to attract developers.
Grid balancing costs up 10% in Great Britain, may hit GBP 8 billion in 2030
Transmission infrastructure buildout essential to curb rising cost of balancing Great Britain’s electricity grid, according to electricity system operator. New report finds thermal constraints were main driver of increased balancing costs, with planned outages in Scotland coinciding with high wind outturn.
Canada’s largest off-grid solar project breaks ground
The Anahim Lake Solar Farm in British Columbia, Canada, will provide the Ulkatcho First Nation with renewable energy, reducing the remote community’s use of diesel for electricity generation by almost two-thirds.
UK energy sector edging toward gender balance, but barriers remain
Women in Solar+ Europe – WiSEu Network attended the launch of POWERful Women’s Annual State of the Nation Report this week, where leaders and changemakers called for faster action to close the gender gap in energy.
Nicaragua starts work on 70 MW solar plant, largest to date
China Communications Construction Co. has begun building the 70 MW Enesolar-3 solar plant in Nicaragua, which will supply power to state water utility Enacal and cover about 40% of its electricity needs. The PV project is the largest in the country to date.
Shifting cloud patterns boost solar potential in the Amazon
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that solar irradiance levels across the Amazon Basin were 10% higher than the long-term average during April and May, reflecting a decadal trend towards drier conditions in the region.
Solar hydrogen could be produced at 4.23$/kg in Saudi Arabia
New research from Saudi Arabia shows that PV, concentrated solar power (CSP), or hybrid PV-CSP systems could significantly reduce the levelized cost of hydrogen. CSP offers higher capacity factors, but PV-driven electrolysis provides the lowest projected cost for hydrogen production.
DEWA’s Mohammed bin Rashid solar park capacity hits 3.8 GW
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) says it has added 800 MW of solar to its flagship Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park this year alone. By the end of the decade, the site’s cumulative capacity is set to reach 7.26 GW.
Solar companies adapt in changing times
pv magazine USA speaks with Solar Insure’s Dean Chiaravallotti about how solar companies can adapt business models, innovate product offerings, and deploy strategic tools to remain competitive in a shifting US market.
