Articles written by Blake Matich

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Applications & Installations
Weekend read: Shining magnate Mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is the founder and executive chair of Australian iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group. The company has announced an ambitious $6.2 billion decarbonization strategy and its Fortescue Future Industries subsidiary has rapidly become a global player in green hydrogen, along with a host of other energy transition technologies. Whether it is pushing to decarbonize mining, hashing out headline-making green energy deals, or using the popular “Rick and Morty” cartoon to educate people about the potential of green hydrogen, Fortescue and its shining magnate are talking the talk. But can they walk the walk? Blake Matich reports.
Blake Matich
Dec 03, 2022
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Shining magnate Mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest is the founder and executive chair of Fortescue Metals Group, a major Australian iron ore producer. The company recently announced an ambitious $6.2 billion decarbonization strategy. Meanwhile, a fully owned subsidiary – Fortescue Future Industries – has rapidly become a global player in green hydrogen, along with a host of other technology pathways in the energy transition. Whether it is pushing to decarbonize mining, hashing out headline-making green energy deals, or using the popular “Rick and Morty” cartoon to educate people about the potential of green hydrogen, Fortescue and its shining magnate are talking the talk. But can they walk the walk? Blake Matich reports.
Blake Matich
Nov 09, 2022
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Markets & Policy
Europe’s latest U-turn could threaten renewables investment An unexpected “non-paper” in which the European Commission signaled a U-turn away from a price cap on gas has caused a stir in what was already an agitated European energy industry.
Blake Matich
Nov 02, 2022
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Markets & Policy
RE-Source 2022: EU revenue cap hamstrings PPA market in hour of need The RE-Source 2022 event is taking place this week in Amsterdam amidst what is being described as “the perfect storm” of challenges for the European PPA market. Prices have skyrocketed, permitting continues to hamper accelerated development, and a new European Commission policy decision has only added to the inertia in the market.  
Blake Matich, Jonathan Gifford
Oct 07, 2022
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Islands in the sun Islandable microgrids are a growing niche, especially in remote regions at the end of electricity networks or parts of the world prone to natural disasters and outages. Renewably powered microgrids can provide a community with more stability and operate independently, so vulnerable regions are not reliant on distant sources of generation, as was the case during Australia’s Black Summer bushfires of 2019-20, when communities were left powerless. From California to Australia’s southern coast, the study and deployment of microgrids is on the rise. pv magazine’s Blake Matich takes a look.
Blake Matich
Oct 04, 2022
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Teamwork makes the green work In May 2018, India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy adopted the National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy. Though paltry when it comes to offering incentives or preferential treatment to solar-wind-hybrid (SWH) projects, the policy aims to enable more SWH projects to efficiently utilize transmission infrastructure and land, as well as reducing variability in renewable generation and thus improving grid stability.
Blake Matich
Sep 05, 2022
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Applications & Installations
The weekend read: Historical and landmarked buildings turn to solar amid changing policies, rising prices The urgency of rooftop solar uptake has only been accelerated by the current energy crisis, but the spread of PV to historic and landmarked buildings remains limited. In Europe, historic buildings constructed before 1945 represent at least a quarter of total building stock. To boost uptake, some municipalities are considering a loosening of their protection policies, while researchers are finding interesting byways for installation. Furthermore, building integrated PV solutions are being touted as the ideal compromise between aesthetic continuity and new generation opportunities.
Blake Matich
Aug 27, 2022
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Applications & Installations
China sets BIPV record with 120 MW multi-roof solar project A new 120 MW solar installation spread across 11 rooftops in China’s Jiangxi province is now the world’s largest single-capacity, building-integrated PV project.
Blake Matich
Aug 26, 2022
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Applications & Installations
BayWa r.e. to develop hybrid solar-storage-hydrogen project in France The Community of Communes of Haute-Saintonge on the mid-Atlantic coast of France has picked BayWa r.e. to develop an innovative hybrid project on the site of the Pôle Mécanique de la Haute Saintonge.
Blake Matich
Aug 23, 2022
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