PV plant

Lightsource bp and “gen-tailer” Contract Energy plan to build up to 380 GWh of annual grid-scale PV generation in New Zealand by 2026. The companies have now been chosen to develop what will be one of the nation’s largest solar farms.

Botswana has kicked off a tender for seven solar projects. The installations are expected to help the sub-Saharan country to reduce its dependence on electricity imports from South Africa.

Desert Quartzite says it will invest $1 billion in its plans for a utility-scale solar project in California. The facility is expected to start commercial operations by December 2024.

Finnish researchers have proposed the use of solar, wind, and storage to provide desalinated seawater to restore forests. Their model predicts that an additional 10.7 TW of PV would be needed to actually do this by 2100, leading to a cumulative carbon dioxide sequestration potential of 730 gigatons.

Brazilian researchers have compared the environmental impact of two PV plants – one with polycrystalline solar modules mounted on fixed-tilt trackers, and another with the same modules mounted on single-axis trackers. The life cycle assessment shows the system with single-axis trackers reduced carbon gas emissions by 24%, land use by 20%, and water use by 7%.

LevelTen Energy says the prices of solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Europe reached €76.84($82.58)/MWh in the fourth quarter of 2022.

SJVN, a state-owned hydropower producer in India, has signed an agreement with the state government of Uttar Pradesh to set up a 700 MW solar plant in the Indian city of Kanpur.

A US water station will enhance its ability to deliver safe, clean water during extended grid outages.

Tim Buckley, director of Climate Energy Finance, speaks to pv magazine about the crisis threatening Adani Group with collapse, the “positive outlook” for Australian renewables, and the nation’s potential to become a clean energy superpower.

Solyx Energy has developed a device to maximize solar self-consumption in residential homes. The sensor measures how much solar power can be fed back into the grid at different times, while a controller redirects that excess energy into an electric water heater.