Scottish Power enters PV business
The distribution network operator for central and southern Scotland says it wants to maximize onshore renewables potential by adding solar and storage to its clean energy business. The company said hybrid projects combining wind, solar and storage will become the industry standard in 2021.
Cyprus installs largest rooftop PV under net billing program
The 2.5 MW array will operate under a payment system which guarantees grid operators will not be left out of pocket.
Australia’s Marinus Link interconnector project inches forward following new reports
Tasmania’s ambitions of becoming the “battery of Australia” improved following early reports on the proposed Marinus Link, a second interconnector between the states of Tasmania and Victoria, which show that the project’s economic advantages far outweigh expected costs.
Construction begins at Hydrogen Park South Australia
The transformation of South Australia’s energy system has taken another step forward with early site works at a green hydrogen facility near Adelaide. The plant will integrate what is billed as Australia’s biggest electrolyzer of its kind.
Ather Energy to set up Li-ion, EV production unit in India
Ather Energy, an Indian electric scooter maker, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to open a new production facility for lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles.
Ofgem’s plan for network charges triggers renewables sector backlash
Ofgem passed its long-awaited, controversial plan for network charges last week, despite earlier warnings against the move. The UK electricity market regulator’s Targeted Charging Review has provoked a backlash in the renewables sector, as many believe that the plan will damage the economics of distributed energy resources and unsubsidized onshore wind and solar development.
300 MW of new solar for China’s 800 kV UHV transmission project
JinkoSolar has announced that it will supply 300 MW of its Tiger solar panels for what it describes as an ultra-high voltage demonstration plant in China’s Qinghai’s province. The project will be connected to an ultra-high voltage power line that State Grid Corp. of China is building to connect the far northwestern part of the country to the more heavily populated eastern provinces.
Hybrid power plants, and the move beyond LCOE
A new paper published by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory delves into the potential of hybrid power plants combining wind and solar generation. Development of such plants, according to the lab, is driven by the need to increase profitability and consider metrics beyond levelized cost of electricity, taking into account time varying revenues and better managing these renewables inherent variability.
Netherlands grid constraints becoming serious threat to solar
Three energy associations, including Holland Solar, have asked the Dutch parliament to take action amid worsening grid connection problems for renewable energy projects in the Netherlands. According to the energy groups, around 700 MW of solar and wind projects allocated under the SDE+ incentive program could lose their payments if they miss connection deadlines.
Iberdrola switches on 3 MWh battery in Spain
The project was realized by the i-DE distribution company of the Spanish electric utility. The large scale storage battery is intended to improve the quality of electricity supply with a focus on solar projects located nearby.
