Mexico raises grid fee for renewable projects finalized before energy reforms
The new measure mainly applies to wind power and other renewable energy sources, as most of the country’s solar capacity was deployed after 2014, when the energy reforms were implemented.
Italian government opposes large-scale PV development in historic Tuscia region
The Italian cabinet has accepted a request from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities to cancel approvals granted by the Lazio regional government for two large-scale PV projects. Lazio’s Tuscia area is a potential solar hub for the Italian energy system.
World’s first self-drifting solar boat
The pilotless, high-speed solar boat, now under development by Russian scientists, purportedly has unlimited power reserves. It could be used for marine patrols, search and rescue operations, and cargo delivery, they said.
Poland set to reach 2 GW milestone
The country reached 1.95 GW of installed PV capacity at the end of May, after installing around 653 MW of new projects in the first five months of this year. If the current growth trend continues over the next few months, Poland could become a gigawatt market in terms of annual additions for the first time this year.
Catching up on the Musk-Tesla-SolarCity acquisition case
Tesla CEO Elon Musk finds himself in the news quite often, from groundbreaking SpaceX launches to contentious tweets. Yet one story that has flown under the radar by the brash businessman’s standards has been going on for four years now.
Kenyan floating solar crowdfunding bid could again end up smelling of roses
German company Ecoligo is offering micro investment in the construction of a 69 kW floating solar plant on the reservoir of a flower farm.
100% solar-powered floating villa
Australian designer Chuck Anderson’s Lilypad is a 100% solar-powered villa floating off Palm Beach in north Sydney.
EV batteries providing grid stabilization services at Italian car factory
Fiat Chrysler has begun construction of a vehicle-to-grid pilot at its Mirafiori manufacturing facility in Turin. The project, which also includes 5 MW of PV, will eventually become a virtual power plant.
Scottish Water launches tender for solar projects up to 5 MW
The Scottish water provider is seeking proposals for the development and construction of several solar plants ranging in size from 50 kW to 50 MW. The installations can be a combination of ground-mounted PV systems and rooftop arrays.
PV systems could provide up to 60% of output during hurricanes
Researchers in the U.S. have demonstrated, using simulations, PV system generation can range from 18-60% of clear-sky potential during hurricanes – provided the arrays do not suffer damage. According to them, solar installations could continue to provide back-up power when grids are down during hurricanes, especially if coupled with energy storage.
