Thailand

In Thailand, the 7-Eleven convenience store chain uses PV systems at its shops to lower its electricity consumption. Cristobal Chin, the CEO of Chow Energy, shared his thoughts on these projects.

One of Southeast Asia’s biggest generators of renewable electricity, Thailand’s CK Power, is set to double in size over the next three years after announcing plans to add 2.8GW of new renewable electricity generation, including a ten-fold increase in its solar capacity.

The Ubol Ratana Dam Hydro-Floating Solar Hybrid Project will have a capacity of 24 MW and will be located the company’s Ubol Ratana Dam in Khok Sung, Ubolratana District.

Researchers in Thailand have developed an anti-reflective and anti-soiling coating for commercial solar modules that is claimed to increase power yield by over 6%. The coating has photocatalytic properties that make the organic compounds adsorbed on the solar module surface decompose, thus preparing them to be easily washed off by rainwater.

Recent research from Thailand has shown that solar-plus-storage on floating platforms could be the cheapest option to power energy-intensive aeration systems in aquaculture projects. The battery accounts for around 54% of the capital costs, which is why system sizing would be key for economic viability.

Scientists in Thailand have built a hybrid system based on a 3 kW fuel cell and a 50 kWh lead-acid battery that is intended for storing solar power. They also sought to identify the best DC coupling voltage between the two devices in order to optimize their combined performance.

The Chinese inverter company said the dam-hosted 58.5 MW project in northeastern Thailand was connected to the grid this month.

With pressure mounting on the world’s governments to turn their back on the fossil fuel, China and peers in South East Asia, Europe and South Asia could help deliver a coal-free future at the COP26 climate summit planned in Glasgow in November.

Electricity bill payers in nations as diverse as Germany, Greece, India and China should be aware new solar projects can now generate electricity cheaper for them than legacy coal and gas-fired plants.

The Paris Agreement has been signed by all ASEAN nations and almost all members have declared a carbon emissions reduction target. The diversity in ASEAN’s readiness for energy transition is reflected in the wide-ranging nationally determined contribution targets set for reducing greenhouse gases. An immediate quick win for the renewable energy transition is the harnessing of solar power from an abundance of resources in the region.