Blathnaid O'Dea
TagEnergy to build France’s largest battery, 240MW/480MWh
TagEnergy will develop and manage the Cernay-lès-Reims project, which is scheduled for grid connection in late 2025. It will have a storage capacity nearly five times larger than France’s current largest operational battery.
Eskom tenders 72 MW of solar at coal power plant
Eskom is seeking a contractor to provide turnkey design, engineering, operation and maintenance services for a solar project at the Komati Power Station, South Africa.
Irish utility Bord Gáis acquires solar installer Swyft
Bord Gáis has purchased County Cork, Ireland-based Swyft Energy for an undisclosed sum to help it meet its target of 10,000 solar PV installations over the next five years.
New research optimizes energy density in sodium-ion batteries
A machine learning model has identified Na[Mn0.36Ni0.44Ti0.15Fe0.05]O2 as the optimum composition to attain the highest energy density for sodium-ion (Na-ion) devices.
Ireland to miss 2030 solar targets by at least 2.9 GW, says SEAI
New data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) says there is no scenario in which Ireland will meet its 2030 solar deployment capacity of 8 GW. With existing measures in place, the reality would be more like 5 GW, the government-run group estimates.
Ireland to extend solar for schools program nationwide
Ireland’s overall solar program for schools will see up to 24 MW of installed renewable energy on schools, with associated savings of around €5.5 million ($5.9 million) per year across 4,000 schools nationwide.
DCC Group launches €50 million solar support scheme for Irish businesses
A trio of companies owned by DCC Group are teaming up on a support scheme to provide Irish businesses with capital to install rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels on their premises. The scheme aims to support 100 companies to install a total of 50 MW of solar over the next five years.
Cincinnati Zoo completes 2.8 MW solar carport
Terrasmart has designed and manufactured a racking system for a 2.8 MW solar carport project at Ohio’s Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The site’s owners claim it is the largest publicly accessible solar array in the United States, providing shade for up to 800 vehicles.
Why were prices so high in Ireland’s latest renewables auction?
Following Ireland’s most recent renewables auction finalized in late September, the average final price for PV was €0.10476 ($0.12)/kWh, which just a 4% decrease compared to 2023’s auction. pv magazine has spoken with the government, the local PV association and several market operators to understand the reasons behind final high prices.
Neoen begins building 79 MW of solar in Ireland
French independent power producer (IPP) Neoen is increasing its investment in Irish solar with its Ballinknockane project in Ireland, which is now under construction. The company already operates three solar farms in the country totaling 58 MW and recently secured two new projects totaling 170 MW in the latest Irish energy auctions.
