Indian state-owned utility tenders a further 1.2 GW of solar
The projects, in Maharashtra state, will be commissioned through a reverse auction with technical bidding to close on December 19. The deadline for the submission of financial bids and the date for the reverse auction after the opening of financial bids, will be published in due course.
Edison connects large-scale storage system at PV plant in southern Italy
The Italian power provider has implemented its first pilot storage projects linked to solar. The system can provide grid services such as primary and secondary frequency regulation and tertiary and voltage regulation.
Extent of India’s new utility-scale solar has almost halved in six months
India added 1.2 GW of large-scale projects in the third quarter of 2018-19, taking new capacity in the first half to 1.9 GW. The numbers are down 43% and 44%, respectively, on the same periods of the previous year, according to Bridge to India’s quarterly India Solar Compass.
Dutch government sets up €100 million fund for PV in schools
The scheme would provide low interest loans to Dutch schools willing to go solar. Some 6,000 of the country’s 7,000 school buildings have yet to install an array.
Czech Republic may exclude PV from future renewables auctions
Once a leading European PV market, the Czech Republic may resume development of large-scale renewables from 2021. Only wind, hydro and biomass projects, however, will be eligible, under a proposal from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Only rooftop solar, of up to 1 MW, would be backed by a ‘feed-in premium’ scheme.
PV to take lion’s share of $120 billion annual investment
The impressive growth is unlikely to replace coal-fired power generation as it will only be sufficient to cover the predicted increase in demand for electricity. The electrification of heating, manufacturing and transportation offer room for further development.
Four key takeaways from Key Energy – Italy’s main PV event
Italy’s main solar event, held in Rimini last week, saw an increasing number of visitors this year. The Italian solar market, however, has not come through on its capacity expansion promises, due to lower than expected development in the PPA segment for large-scale solar; although the upcoming renewables decree, expected to be issued by the end of this year, may spur development through a series of auctions and tenders. Residential and commercial PV continue to sustain the country’s solar growth.
US: Duke issues $1 billion in inaugural green bond offerings
In what it touts as one of the largest green bond transactions issued by a U.S. utility, Duke Energy Carolinas has issued bonds to further renewable energy development.
EU Parliament approves RE directive
The European Parliament has today approved half of the eight legislative proposals of its Clean Energy Package, including the recast Renewable Energy Directive.
IEA World Energy Outlook: Solar PV capacity to overtake all but gas by 2040
Even in its low ball scenario, the International Energy Agency (IEA) imagines that installed solar PV capacity will overtake that of all other forms of energy apart from gas by 2040. Overall, it presents four scenarios in its 2018 World Energy Outlook, which show a changing energy landscape. While it finds that CO2 levels are, perversely, on the rise, and that many energy efforts in all but the most whimsical of its forecasts are far behind those needed to seriously address global warming, it still imagines coal, oil and gas playing a leading role in our energy mix going forward. It also sees “dramatic” transformation in the electricity sector. Long story short: Read something else if you want to take real climate action. We suggest The Drawdown.
