Egypt to impose ‘merger fee’ on net-metered solar
Law firm Riad & Riad has confirmed the levy will be applied but said the level of the charge had not been determined, despite a report to the contrary in one local newspaper.
Tunisia launches another 70 MW PV tender
The Tunisian government hopes to build six solar plants in its latest procurement round, with capacities of 10 MW each, in addition to 10 smaller solar arrays, each up to 1 MW in size.
Solarise Africa raises $10 million to spearhead its clean energy expansion in Africa
Financial solutions company Solarise Africa has raised US$10 million to support its investment in solar PV projects in Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa. The company has also set its sights on more “difficult” territories, like the DR Congo, Chad and Sierra Leone. CEO Jan Albert Valk talked to pv magazine about the company’s plans, and the “overwhelming” need for more renewable energy investment on the African continent.
Cooling PV panels with seawater
An Anglo-Egyptian research group has developed a passive cooling method based on saturated activated alumina, with saline water as a cooling agent.
EBRD may finance ACWA’s 200 MW solar plant in Egypt with $54 million loan
The $155,4 million project was secured by the Saudi energy giant through a tender held in 2019. The facility will sell power at a price of $0.02752/kWh.
Test bench compares floating PV with onshore solar arrays
Moroccan researchers have set up a new floating PV test bench. They claim floating solar arrays offer better power yields than rooftop and ground-mounted PV systems, with lower module operating temperatures.
Lithium battery equipment makers buffeted by Covid
Grid scale lith-ion batteries may be multiplying Stateside, but an expected recovery in the production line segment will be put on hold until next year because of the pandemic, according to one analyst.
Testing CPM-based passive cooling for CPV systems
An international research team has tested change material heat sinks for heat management on a concentrator photovoltaic system. It found that increasing over height ratios lowers the formation of stratified liquid layers, which in turn reduces the potential hot spots in the upper part of the solar cell.
The weekend read: In pursuit of universal energy access
Koen Peters has been the executive director of global offgrid solar association GOGLA since 2014. He has more than 20 years of international work experience, with more than 12 years in relation to energy access. He has gathered insights from many different perspectives and organizations, including government, consulting, startup businesses, and international finance organizations.
Another solar module factory in North Africa
Teriak Industrial Group, a private Egyptian company that specializes in the production of automotive components, owns and operates the new 100 MW manufacturing facility. Spain’s Mondragon Assembly supplied the production line.
