Aid organization seeks developers for mini-grids in Ethiopia
The U.S.-based Mercy Corps has opened a call for expressions of interest in the installation of mini-grids at three refugee camps on the Somali border.
Philippines’ nexus approach for water and solar power supply
The country’s National Irrigation Administration will bet on floating PV and solar-powered irrigation to improve water and energy supply. The Pantabangan and Casecnan dams, in the province of Nueva Ecija in the Central Luzon region, have been identified as ideal locations for floating solar.
US installed more microgrids in 2019 than ever before
Most microgrid projects still feature distributed fossil fuel generation, but the share of renewable microgrids is rising, driven by high-volume adopters such as the Red Cross.
The weekend read: Expand and connect
Almost 60% of Nigeria’s population currently has access to electricity. But this breaks down as 78% in cities and urban areas, and just 39% in rural communities. The Rural Electrification Agency (REA), established by the government as part of electricity sector reforms in 2005, is tasked with bridging this gap and bringing reliable energy supply to the most remote parts of Nigeria. pv magazine spoke with REA CEO Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad about the organization’s strategy and recent progress, as well as the challenges that remain for rural electrification in Nigeria and the role of PV technology.
Bangladesh to install another 40,000 free solar home systems
Time is running out for the government to achieve its goal of universal access to electricity by next year but Dhaka has doubled down by allocating $26 million for PV panels in hard-to-reach areas.
Belgian school selling solar power to neighbors
Belgium is testing its first energy community by giving special status to a solar energy pilot near Brussels. The project will help to create a large-scale legal framework to apply the European Directives to energy communities.
Redox flow battery powered by perovskite solar cells
An international team has developed an integrated solar flow battery which has been suggested as ideal for off-grid locations. The device, which combines energy conversion and storage in one unit, can be used for lighting and recharging cell phones.
Biden-Sanders task force calls for 500m solar panels in five years
A wide-ranging joint report published by the Democratic presidential candidate and his former rival includes the section: ‘Undoing the harms of the Trump administration and righting the wrongs.’
PV mini-grid to back Congolese agriculture
Equatorial Power and SustainSolar are installing containerized, off-grid solar battery power systems to support farming projects on an island in Lake Kivu.
Baywa sells ‘largest floating PV park outside China’
The 27 MW Dutch project in Zwolle has been sold to a consortium featuring a provincial energy transition fund and a local energy co-operative in a deal backed by public funding.
