Negative energy price drives loss of Netherlands solar incentives
Negative energy prices for more than six hours mean the Dutch government will pay no renewables incentives under its SDE+ program for March 29. The plunging electricity price was caused by slumping demand for energy as restrictions were put in place to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Covid-19 daily bulletin: Market contractions and hackathons
pv magazine rounds up the latest Covid-19-related stories likely to affect the world of solar and energy storage.
Covid-19 daily bulletin: Grim news from US and Australia but pandemic is not solely to blame
The U.S. solar industry experienced a wave of job losses last month and the public health crisis has driven foreign exchange losses which will jeopardize projects Down Under, but it is Angela Merkel’s government which is attracting the ire of German PV installers.
Renewables and geopolitics: Who will ‘win’ the energy transition?
The losers in a world which no longer runs on fossil fuels are obvious but the dividend from shrugging off hydrocarbon dependency will be spread around most of the world so it is the nations which are winning the cleantech manufacturing and intellectual property race which appear best positioned for the future.
Europe can be 60% powered by solar before 2050
Perhaps it is not surprising a report co-produced by Europe’s solar industry places PV at the heart of a zero-carbon, mid-century energy system on the continent. However, the study does flesh out two out of three scenarios in which becoming carbon-neutral by 2050, or even 2040, could be possible.
Covid-19 daily bulletin: Renewables squeezing out fossil fuels as energy demand plunges
Although the energy price recovered this week, ultra low levels driven by bumper solar power generation on a sunny weekend in Germany reportedly put further pressure on the business case for conventional energy.
The life of brine
Solar remains an interesting option to power water desalination despite obstacles to its widespread adoption. A recent study has highlighted the processing or dumping of brine waste as an important factor to consider.
Panda Green opened another $150m of state-owned credit lines
The debt-saddled developer secured $125 million on a three-year basis from China Construction Bank which will help towards the $271 million it owes investors by the end of July.
UK could see 900 MW of solar compete in subsidy round planned next year
Analyst Cornwall Insight said the figure, drawn from its Renewable Pipeline tracker, related only to the proportion of the nation’s 13 GW solar pipeline which had already applied for or secured planning permission.
Another vertical PV plant in the Alps
More than 1,200 solar modules will be installed on the south side of a dam 2,100 meters above sea level. The facility planned by utility EWZ is set to be ready this year.
