UK surpasses 1,000 hours without coal this year alone, solar shines
Reflecting its rapidly changing energy landscape, the U.K. has surpassed 1,000 hours without using coal this year, up from 624 hours in the whole of 2017, and just 210 hours in 2016. Solar PV is also currently a leading energy source in the country.
Sonnen hits almost €10 million in PV storage sales in June
The German PV home storage provider delivered around 1,500 solar batteries globally last month. At around 75%, most systems went to Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Next Kraftwerke connects 2 MW battery to its VPP in Belgium
The virtual power plant (VPP) solutions provider connected its product with a 2 MW storage system in Belgium. It will be the country’s first storage system to take part in the grid’s frequency control reserve.
Veolia Foundation supporting a nano-grid project in Madagascar
The project connects four to six households, and lets dwellers pre-purchase daily access to electricity using a mobile app. A successful trial phase has just been finished and the executing association, Nanoé Développement has set new goals to reach in the near future.
US: Mixed impact of proposed Section 301 tariffs on inverter makers
GTM Research says the 10% tariffs that the Trump Administration is calling for are “significant”, and some companies and sectors will be affected more than others.
Module prices continue to fall
The latest reports from analysts at PV InfoLink and EnergyTrend show prices continuing to fall, though at a slower rate than was immediately seen after China’s 31/5 announcements. High efficiency mono-PERC modules fell to around US$0.32/W, while multicrystalline module prices held steady at between $0.26 and $0.29/W.
SolarWorld must find an investor by the end of September
At a creditors’ meeting, important decisions have been made regarding the future of the ailing German solar module manufacturer. The creditors have decided to discontinue the loss-making business at the end of September, providing no investor can be found by then.
UK’s decarbonization depends on continued growth of EVs, RE, storage – National Grid
Outlining energy pathways for the next 30 years and beyond, the U.K.’s National Grid has released four different scenarios, considering growing electricity demand and a significant increase in energy infrastructure from new renewable generation and EV charging networks. Only two of them meet the U.K.’s 2050 carbon reduction target on the back of a large growth of renewables and energy storage, and almost completely decarbonized transport.
South Korea to set new PV construction rules after landslide destroys array
The South Korean government has revealed plans to introduce new environmental guidelines and rules on where PV projects can be built, following a public outcry after a landslide smashed into an operational solar array south of the city of Daegu.
Solar glass: European PV module manufacturers fear being “taken hostage”
Currently, new anti-dumping proceedings against solar glass makers from Malaysia are taking place in the EU. Imports of Chinese solar glass have been subject to high anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duties since 2014. The European module manufacturers fear further massive competitive disadvantages and the danger of an Interfloat monopoly in Europe.
