Covid-19

Negative energy prices for more than six hours mean the Dutch government will pay no renewables incentives under its SDE+ program for March 29. The plunging electricity price was caused by slumping demand for energy as restrictions were put in place to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The world is watching to see whether signatories to the Paris Agreement can increase emission reduction targets to match the 1.5°C goal. While Covid-19 and oil shocks rock the markets and delay negotiations, if the financial community is given the correct information, tools and frameworks to shift its focus, the transition to a low carbon greener future may yet be assured. Felicia Jackson in London explores the implications of the EU’s Climate Law and the Green Deal that it promotes.

pv magazine rounds up the latest Covid-19-related stories likely to affect the world of solar and energy storage.

An ESA-backed hackathon raised the idea of turning end-of-life PV modules into hand sanitizers. The team that won the hackathon is now working to rapidly roll out the solution at scale to contain the Covid-19 spread.

The Covid-19 pandemic will create a “perfect storm” for Australia’s wholesale electricity market, as lower demand comes together with lower gas prices and the commissioning of large-scale solar and wind projects to depress power prices, according to a report by Melbourne-based consultancy RepuTex.

The U.S. solar industry experienced a wave of job losses last month and the public health crisis has driven foreign exchange losses which will jeopardize projects Down Under, but it is Angela Merkel’s government which is attracting the ire of German PV installers.

Central Electronics, India’s first silicon PV manufacturer, is drawing on its technical expertise to ramp up production of ICU ventilators, as part of the country’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has invited global bids from ventilator manufacturers to collaborate with on production.

Although the energy price recovered this week, ultra low levels driven by bumper solar power generation on a sunny weekend in Germany reportedly put further pressure on the business case for conventional energy.

Solar support is on the way for businesses and communities struggling to cope as the coronavirus outbreak ripples across the continent.

Installations are set to fall in India’s rooftop PV sector, even after the current coronavirus lockdown is lifted, as consumers will continue to grapple with financial constraints, according to a newly published research report.