Ireland launches auction scheme for renewables
Solar is included among the competing sources but with a maximum quota of only 10%. Around 13,500 GWh will be allocated across five rounds under the new scheme, which is still subject to EU state aid approval. Community-led projects will be allowed to participate from the second round, with a bonus of €2/MWh.
ADB to provide $451 million to strengthen grid in southern India
The funds will be used to build an extra-high-voltage transmission link to transmit 9 GW of capacity, including 6 GW of renewables, to the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor by 2025.
Australia’s 1414 Degrees to supply abandoned Aurora CSP site with PV, thermal storage
Adelaide-based storage specialist 1414 Degrees has announced plans to acquire SolarReserve Australia II, which owns the Aurora Solar Energy Project in South Australia and two other PV projects in the state of New South Wales. The company wants to use the Aurora site to build a massive 400 MW solar farm with several thousand megawatt-hours of thermal storage capacity.
Enertronica Santerno reports higher inverter shipments in 2019
In a short conversation with pv magazine, the company’s CEO, Vito Nardi, said shipments for this year are expected to reach 866 MW. The inverter manufacturer also expects a rate of production of 2 GW per year by the end of next year.
The weekend read: Islanding on and off the ocean
Microgrids are traditionally deployed where end users are not spoiled for choice. The remoteness and terrain of the Maldives make grid access impossible, and without any other choice, the deployment of hundreds of microgrids could be spot on. A leaf out of the island nation’s book could also support other less remote regions in preparing for the energy transition.
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.
Energyra works on restarting PV factory in the Netherlands
The insolvent photovoltaic manufacturer is still talking to potential investment partners, but it claims that it could resume PV module production at its shuttered factory in the Dutch municipality of Zaanstad on short notice.
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.
Cuba introduces new rules, fiscal incentives for solar prosumers
With Decree No. 345, the Cuban government aims to encourage consumers to install rooftop PV projects. The new rules will help to facilitate the sale of surplus power within the national electricity system, among other matters.
The ‘butterfly effect’ of Chinese PV listings
A recent study shows that PV costs have declined faster than any other energy technology over the past two decades. The researcher behind the study said this would not have been possible without the “butterfly effect,” which is based on the idea that a small change in one part of a complex system can have a large impact elsewhere. The researcher also attributed the the rapidly declining cost of PV to Chinese manufacturing and strong US investor support.
