Utilities, can you DG it?
Small-scale PV systems drove the installation of more than 200 GW of solar capacity last year and could support more than 300 GW this year. That means a reset for utilities.
Construction begins on 32 MW solar farm in New Zealand
New Zealand renewables company Lodestone Energy’s plans to develop an initial suite of five large-scale solar farms with a combined generation capacity of more than 365 GWh per annum has reached another milestone with construction beginning on the second of the projects.
Rethinking soiling
The two dominant methods used in the industry to estimate soiling levels on solar projects go some way in mitigating losses, but there is plenty of scope for more accurate observation.
Weekend Read: Imminent comeback, imminent trouble
Once a European leader in PV deployment, the solar market in Czechia has slumbered for the last decade. Now, with growing public support and financing in place, momentum is building and a gigawatt-scale pipeline is taking shape. However, fresh challenges loom, as Marija Maisch reports.
The weekend read: Central Asian solar on the rise
Utility-scale solar is stirring in the region, with support from development banks. Following a series of competitive auctions, PV projects have been commissioned and are under development in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In the latter nation, corporate interest in distributed, small-scale renewables is growing but for further market uptake, additional incentives should be introduced, practitioners say.
Bosnian Serb Republic to back 250 MW of rooftop PV
The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Serb Republic has adopted a net metering scheme to facilitate the deployment of 50,000 PV rooftop PV systems on residential and commercial buildings.
Solar helps Bangladesh to universal access to electricity
A decade on from energy rationing, head of state Sheikh Hasina is poised to announce the achievement of an historic goal which has been made possible with the help of off-grid photovoltaics.
Large-scale PV could improve voltage of weak grids in Nigeria
Researchers have discovered that large-scale PV arrays could enhance the voltage stability of northern Nigeria’s electricity grid.
Solar Solutions marks return of PV trade shows to Europe
The Dutch event has attracted bumper crowds this week as the Dutch solar PV market continues to defy skeptics with its tremendous growth.
A banner year for US solar
Despite the supply and demand challenges that PV faced in 2020, the U.S. solar market had its largest installation year to date, writes IHS Markit’s Maria Chea. More than 22 GW of PV installations were completed last year, with utility-scale projects representing 77% of that volume. A renewables-friendly administration, an extended ITC schedule, increasingly competitive pricing, and a massive late-stage project pipeline will drive strong growth for the United States in 2021.
