Markets

An “Australian first” demonstration of aggregated flexible demand in residential settings will be rolled out in South Australia, with the state’s principle electricity distributor to deliver smart energy upgrades for 500 households as part of a pilot program to coordinate power usage and support the grid.

India has accepted bids to set up 69.8 GW of renewable energy capacity, far surpassing its annual bidding target of 50 GW in fiscal 2024. Activity surged due to large-scale potential for market growth, central government support, and higher operating margins.

The Italian government has issued a new decree to completely ban solar from agricultural land. The new provisions will not apply to projects currently undergoing the approval process.

Ministers from Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have agreed to connect their energy systems. They will lay an energy cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to facilitate the sale of green energy to Europe.

A European consortium including Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE is researching suitable crop and PV system combinations, conducting tests under Nordic conditions, and developing software to expedite adoption.

Sunrun, a US-based residential solar installer, says nearly 1,800 customers have already signed up to its PowerOn Puerto Rico virtual power plant (VPP). The program deploys stored solar energy from customers’ batteries to the grid, preventing power supply shortfalls on the island.

Turkish developer YEO and Zambian sustainable energy company are constructing a 60 MW solar plant with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system in southern Zambia.

The state-owned Central Electricity Board of Mauritius has launched a tender for consultancy services at a 15 MW solar project. The deadline for applications is May 22.

The latest Sinovoltaics financial stability report ranking lists Tainergy, Eterbright, First Solar, Era Solar, and TSEC as the top five module makers. There was a slight reshuffling in the top ten, and seven new manufacturers were added to the ranking.

GCL Technology says revenue and profits fell in 2023 due to losses on certain assets, higher financing costs, and an uptick in R&D spending.