The ambiguous impact of battery storage on emissions
U.S. researchers have investigated whether energy storage deployment could actually drive up greenhouse gas emissions in the short term in some energy markets. The fact the existing literature considers only the dispatch of energy from storage facilities in the current fossil fuel-renewables energy mix, though, could understate the long-term emissions reduction benefits of such facilities.
EU climate law: Member states and interest groups demand more ambition
The European Commission today officially presented its Green Deal bill. Though the law has been welcomed in principle by environmental organizations, the provisions are not seen to be ambitious or concrete enough – and 12 EU member states already want to speed up decarbonization.
Bushfire-affected South Australia homeowners to get free sonnen batteries
The state government has partnered with the German energy storage company to offer 188 families locally assembled sonnenBatteries as they rebuild their homes.
Energy community provisions for Italy
New measures introduced by the government allow households, businesses and public entities to produce and trade clean electricity in low-voltage grids. The new framework is open to power projects with a generation capacity no larger than 200 kW.
More postponements due to Covid-19
The list of major solar industry events put on hold due to the Covid-19 virus is lengthening. Today, Solar Solutions Amsterdam became the latest event planned for this month and next which the organizers must reschedule for later in the year.
UK includes solar in new generation capacity auction
The announcement by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy of an auction which will include solar next year appears to back prime minister Boris Johnson’s claims to be serious about the nation’s net-zero carbon ambition.
German grid agency reports 375 MW of new solar in January but revises down cumulative figure 360 MW
The cumulative capacity of subsidized PV systems in Germany reached 49,425 MW at the end of January. Under the nation’s triggered FIT reduction regime the tariff – and income from electricity sold directly to off-takers – will fall 1.4% this month.
Moldova introduces feed-in tariff for small scale solar
The 15-year payments will come into force when new renewables FITs are published in the country’s official journal within the next few days. The government wants to allocate 15 MW of solar facilities ranging in size from 10 kW to 1 MW through the scheme, with larger projects having to compete in auctions.
New hold-up in proposed $536m windfall for GCL New Energy
The proposed acquisition by state-owned China Huaneng of 294 MW of GCL project capacity in China has been delayed a second time.
Sunrun installs record capacity in Q4 while cutting customer acquisition costs
The largest residential solar company in the United States installed 117 MW in the fourth quarter and reached a total customer base of 285,000 – all while bringing creation costs lower than they have ever been.
