Chile

Developer Solarity has completed the first floating PV array to be connected to the national distribution network under Chile’s net billing scheme. The plant will supply 100% of project owner Hortifrut’s energy needs, while allowing it to sell excess power to the grid.

In a national park in Chile, a hydropower plant has been combined with a solar system and battery storage to replace diesel generation.

Mainstream Renewable Power is developing the $934 million Huemul wind and PV project, the second phase of the $1.8 billion Andes Renovables renewable energy platform, which is expected to have a total capacity of 1.3 GW when completed. A third phase is currently in the financing stage.

Chile’s National Electric Coordinator has granted approval for a new First Solar PV project to supply auxiliary grid services on a commercial basis. The installation has performed better than gas turbine technologies.

French energy giant Engie recently commissioned a solar module testing facility in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a region which has the world’s highest solar radiation. Thore Müller – head of bifacial PV R&D and solar services at Engie Laborelec, talked to pv magazineabout the advantages of testing panels, inverters and cleaning systems in hot, arid environments.

The Chinese manufacturer will supply 126 MW of modules to a project in Antofagasta which was originally installed using its products in 2016.

The solar manufacturer has landed its biggest engineering, procurement and construction services deal and will work on solar facilities in Europe and Latin America which will come online before 2023.

Around 30% of a 571 MW Chilean hybrid facility owned by Irish developer Mainstream Renewable Power has been built. The Condor solar power plant is part of the 1.3 GW Andes Renovables wind-solar complex.

The levelized cost of energy generated by large scale solar plants is around $0.068/kWh, compared to $0.378 ten years ago and the price fell 13.1% between 2018 and last year alone, according to figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

Analysts at Bloomberg New Energy Finance say the lowest-cost projects financed in Australia, China, Chile and the UAE in the last six months hit a levelized cost of energy of just $23-29/MWh and the best solar and wind projects will produce electricity for less than $20/MWh by 2030.