Covid-19 weekly round-up: Module prices fall as big solar starts to recover in Germany
Plus, there is hope of a bright new dawn with proposed legislative changes in Europe and the U.S. even as the solar equipment industry hits new lows and cyber attacks reportedly increase in frequency.
Covid-19 pushes German solar sector to request delay to grid-connection deadlines
Large solar parks awarded contracts under Germany’s tender scheme could lose funding if not brought online on time. The nation’s solar trade body believes the government should quadruple its annual PV deployment target despite an anticipated coronavirus-related hiatus in roll-out.
German government wants 98 GW of solar by 2030
The new. more ambitious target is part of a climate protection program Berlin is now defining. The solar sector believes, however, 98 GW will not be enough to ensure the country’s energy transition.
Germany will need 160 GW of solar by 2030 to prevent power shortages
EuPD Research has calculated what needs to be done to replace the nuclear and coal generation to be phased out in Germany. Accelerated expansion of PV appears the best short-term option. However, storage capacity will need to increase 30-fold by 2040 so solar can become the main pillar of the country’s energy system.
“Germany’s new 4 GW solar tenders are a huge opportunity”
Germany’s new energy law includes tenders for large-scale PV that could bring around 4 GW of new capacity online. Carsten Körnig, MD of the German Solar Association, told pv magazine the tenders could generate turnover of up to €4.5 billion for EPC contractors.
