Grids & Integration

The grid needs to modernize to meet a booming demand for electricity, which is only predicted to grow even further in coming years. IEC Standards are key to help with the transition.

In its latest monthly column for pv magazine, IEA-PVPS provides a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art practices, best practices, and recommendations for managing reactive power amidst the growing integration of distributed energy resources (DERs). The article describes the regulatory frameworks and practical applications, underscoring the essential role of reactive power management in maintaining a stable and efficient power grid.

The world’s reliance on the internet, the shift to cloud computing, and the emergence of AI all fuel demand for more and more data centers. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that by 2026, data centers will consume more than 800 TWh annually, more than double their consumption in 2022. Tristan Rayner takes a look at the role that renewable generation plays in powering a digital world.

The Maldives is accepting bids from developers to install 15 MWp of solar systems across selected islands under a design, build, finance, own, operate, and transfer basis. The deadline for applications is Oct. 22.

Agri-food tech specialist N2OFF says it has entered the PV business by lending €375,000 ($407,000) to Israeli PV developer Solterra Renewable Energy. The loan is part of a larger €500,000 agreement, with the remaining €125,000 to come from other parties.

The rapid growth of renewable energy in Brazil has not been matched by transmission and distribution infrastructure. Connection restrictions for both “distributed-” and centralized-generation sites are leading companies to adopt new strategies to maintain expansion, reports pv magazine Brasil’s Livia Neves.

A research group has examined the potential for PV on building walls and rooftops across Norway. It says that up to 36% of the feasible solar energy, or approximately 31 GW, could be integrated into the national power system to match generation and consumption patterns.

South Africa has commissioned its largest wheeling project, with SOLA Group supplying more than 200 MW of solar power to Tronox Mineral Sands via the Eskom network.

New analysis from LCP Delta finds Germany is Europe’s top market for home energy management systems and predicts European yearly sales will more than double by the end of the decade.

Somalia’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources has launched a tender for off-grid solar-plus-storage power plants to serve 46 education facilities in the southeast of the country. The deadline for bids is August 1.