World now has five times more PV than nuclear power
Authors of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2024 the world had 408 operational reactors producing 367 GW in the middle of the year, which is significantly less than installed capacity predictions for solar by the end of the year and five time less the world’s cumulative PV capacity, which is now approaching 2 TW.
Madrid’s residential solar self-consumption rates hit 30% to 70%
Researchers in Spain have calculated the potential self-sufficiency of rooftop solar in eight districts of Madrid, Spain. They have found that single-family homes can achieve self-sufficiency rates of more than 70%, while urban areas with high-rise buildings reach 30%.
Most home battery storage systems meet warranty claims, new research finds
It took eight years of field measurements for researchers at the RWTH Aachen University in Germany to estimate the usable capacity of home battery energy storage systems and develop a dataset covering 106 system years and 14 billion datapoints. Their key finding was that home battery systems lose about two to three percentage points of usable capacity per year on average, meaning good news for the industry as most warranties in the market can be met with the implementation of capacity reserves.
Banking on batteries in Chile
The Chilean solar market is booming but as curtailment grows, a hybrid approach to generation is gaining ground. Storage project announcements are coming thick and fast as co-location with wind turbines offers cost efficiency and a smoother generation profile. Meanwhile, new capacity mechanism rules could take Chile one step closer to runaway battery growth.
Ontario plans large-scale, competitive energy procurement
The government of the Canadian province of Ontario has directed the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to finalize a design framework for a large-scale energy procurement exercise, which will include solar. It says that ground-mounted solar installations will be prohibited in prime agricultural areas.
Greek PV group urges halt to large-scale solar licenses amid curtailment
The Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Energy Producers (Spef) is pushing the Greek government to stop issuing new grid connection licenses for renewable energy systems to address the nation’s escalating power curtailment issue.
Huawei unveils world’s largest microgrid
China’s Huawei has built a 400 MW/1.3 GWh solar-plus-storage off-grid facility in Red Sea New City, Saudi Arabia.
Meyer Burger CEO resigns
Meyer Burger CEO Gunter Erfurt has resigned, with Franz Richter named as his successor. CFO Markus Nikles is also stepping down as part of the company’s restructuring, which includes job cuts, particularly in Europe.
Malaysia reaches 350 MW residential solar quota for net metering
Malaysia’s Sustainable Energy Development Authority reports that the 350 MW capacity allocated for residential solar under the net metering initiative has been reached. However, capacity remains available for government buildings, as well as commercial and industrial users under the same scheme.
Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port to host 11.4 MW solar plant
India’s Bhageria Industries plans to build a utility-scale PV facility at the Khalifa Bin Salman Port of northeastern Bahrain. The project marks Bhageria’s first international solar venture.
