Solar must deal with grid constraints in northeastern Netherlands
Despite recent efforts to improve the power network, in order to host more generation capacity from large-scale solar and renewables, Dutch transmission system operators TenneT and Enexis have said that there is very limited capacity for more solar in the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Overijssel.
11.7 MW of bifacial solar goes online in the Netherlands
The panels were provided by Chinese manufacturer Jolywood, which claims the Zonnepark Rilland project is the first utility-scale solar plant built with n-type bifacial modules in Europe.
Dutch pension fund and Shell eye acquisition of energy company Eneco
PGGM and Shell have expressed interest in acquiring sustainable energy company Eneco, a municipality owned business which wants to go private. The energy provider has installed 100 MW of PV and operates in northwest Europe.
SMIT Thermal Solutions secures a big order from China
The Dutch PV equipment provider will supply 15 vacuum coating systems for a planned 500 MW production capacity of cadmium telluride thin film modules. The value of the contract is more than €40 million.
Innogy’s Dutch unit moves to buy two solar installers
Dutch energy provider Essent has agreed to take over EnergieWonen Groep and ZON7, two Netherlands-based companies specializing in the supply and installation of rooftop PV, thus enhancing Essent’s sustainable development network.
Netherlands a gigawatt solar market
The Dutch PV sector is expected to have grown by 1.3-1.5 GW in 2018. The growth, which marks the Netherlands’ entry into Europe’s gigawatt club, was mainly due to the connection of large-scale projects under the SDE+ program. The nation’s cumulative installed PV capacity should have surpassed 4 GW as the Dutch government prepares to reduce the SDE+ budget.
Netherlands: PV projects totaling 3.7 GW submitted for autumn round of 2018 SDE+ program
Overall, 5,907 renewable energy projects totaling 5 GW are now under review by the Dutch Ministry of Economy in the second round of the SDE+ program for this year. Solar accounts for 72.8% of the total submitted capacity.
Dutch government sets up €100 million fund for PV in schools
The scheme would provide low interest loans to Dutch schools willing to go solar. Some 6,000 of the country’s 7,000 school buildings have yet to install an array.
The Netherlands installed 658 MW of PV in the first half of this year
New solar installations in the country reached the milestone in six months, according to Dutch New Energy Research, which publishes its first Dutch Solar Quarterly report today.
The weekend read: Staying afloat, whatever the weather
From a little known niche just a few years ago, floating solar has quickly grown to more than 1 GW of installed capacity worldwide, and a source of great hope for the industry’s future, particularly in countries where space for solar is at a premium. pv magazine spoke with experts from leading floating PV test centers in Singapore and the Netherlands to outline the challenges still faced by floating PV as the technology moves towards major growth.
