Utility Scale PV

Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson spoke to pv magazine about recent research work showing that California could easily rely on a wind-water-solar-dominated large grid. He says the state’s current electricity prices are high because of several reasons that have nothing to do with renewables. These include high fossil gas prices and the cost upgrading aging transmission and distribution lines, among others.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) reports that Germany generated 72.2 TWh of solar in Germany in 2024, accounting for 14% of total electricity generation.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that variations in weather patterns, including El Niño and regional droughts, shaped solar energy performance worldwide last year.

Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has started accepting expressions of interest (EOI) from developers to set up floating solar projects on a build-own-operate basis in India.

As the penetration of variable renewable energy increases, curtailment of solar PV generation will only increase. Since curtailment will almost always be cheaper than investing in new transmission capacity or new grid-scale storage, curtailed energy should be rewarded, so that PV investment decisions can include curtailment as one of the flexibility options for grid operators.

The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has published aerial images of the Great Solar Wall, China’s largest renewable energy project. The installation is expected to reach 100 GW of capacity by 2030.

Adani Renewable Energy, Adyant Enersol (Datta Infra), Ampin Energy, Green Prairie Energy (EverGreen Power) and JSP Green (Jindal Renewables) have won in NTPC’s latest auction for 1.2 GW of wind-solar hybrid capacity in India.

Researchers have proposed an atmospheric polygeneration system for hot, humid climates that generates water, cooling, and hydrogen, while Inpex has started preparations for a blue hydrogen production project in Niigata, Japan.

Singapore’s Sembcorp Utilities has launched commercial operations at its 588 MW solar plant in Oman more than four months ahead of schedule. The project operates under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Nama Power and Water Procurement Co.

Zanzibar’s state-owned utility is holding a tender for the development of an 18 MW solar project on the southern end of the archipelago off Tanzania’s coast. The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2025.