The year in solar, part I: New modules, flat-pack solar and inverter turbulence
The first part of pv magazine’s review of 2019 considers Q1, when solar early adopter Italy offered an optimistic start to the year by fleshing out its plans for PV but uncertainty still clouded the world’s biggest solar market. The potential for household solar installations to rocket the world over – helped by ever cheaper panels – prompted strategic decisions in the inverter market and analyst expectations were confounded as the cobalt and lithium price plummeted, bringing the EV revolution a big step nearer.
Flood-related blackouts strengthen case for new REIPPPP round in South Africa
The nation has been plagued by extensive power outages again with debt-riddled utility Eskom blaming heavy summer floods for taking out extensive parts of its coal-fired power generation fleet.
African Development Bank to lend almost €49 million for 208 MW of solar in Burkina Faso
The lender is providing the funds to support the West African country’s solar ambitions under the bank’s Desert to Power program. Several other European organizations have vowed to back the €137 million Yeleen solar project, which will encompass four sites.
South Sudan to get 20 MW/35 MWh solar-plus-storage plant
Egyptian manufacturer El Sewedy Electric has secured a contract from the authorities in Juba to build the $45 million project in Nesitu county. The African Export-Import Bank is financing the facility.
17MW/15MWh storage system for solar plant at gold mine in Mali
Mali is set to host one of the world’s largest off grid solar+storage projects, as a 30 MW solar plant will soon be coupled with a 17MW/15MWh storage facility to power the Fekola gold mine. Finland’s Wärtsilä will supply the battery.
UAE-based PV developer to build 50 MW of solar in Togo
A unit of Dubai-based Amea Power will build the project in Blitta prefecture, in the center of the West African country, with all electricity to be sold to Togo Electric Power Co. (CEET) under a long-term power purchase agreement.
Clean energy must be rolled out six times faster
To have any hope of restricting global heating to a maximum of 1.5 degrees Celsius, the renewables success story which saw 108 GW of solar deployed last year needs to be cranked up to the next level – and fast.
Financing African projects remains a struggle
Innoenergy’s recent conference in Berlin repeated the argument financing renewable energy projects in Africa remains a struggle, however it also showcased some hopeful case studies.
Solar and hydropower to rescue São Tome and Príncipe from crisis of troubled utility
The United Nations Development Program is seeking consultants to build a 2 MW solar project and three hydropower plants ranging in generation capacity from 1.15-2 MW.
The weekend read: Offgrid goes global
Offgrid solar power has emerged as a vital part of the PV business across the African continent, and is now spreading to other parts of the globe, mainly with solar home systems and microgrids. pv magazine examines the core issues of financing, business models and the quest for user data.
