South African renewables may be boosted by plan to privatize utility
President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a plan to rescue state-owned power company Eskom by separating it into three units. According to consultants Frost & Sullivan, although that may not be enough to completely address the utility’s financial crisis it may further encourage investment in renewables.
Australian senate: Don’t leave us in the slow lane for EV uptake
Federal and state governments need to do a whole lot more to help the transition to electric vehicles, says the senate, after poll results indicated strong popular backing for the switch from fossil fuel transport.
Thai utility EGAT plans 69 MW of floating PV projects
Floating plants with capacities of 45 MW and 24 MW have been announced by Thailand’s largest power provider. They may be the first of nine projects at dams operated by the utility.
The weekend read: Reflections on a soiled module
Having quickly proven their performance-boosting potential and durability, anti-reflective coatings are now found on the majority of modules rolling off the world’s production lines. Today, coating suppliers are looking to tackle losses from soiling as well as reflection, and working to keep up with cost reductions and extended lifetime expectations at module level. Older modules, installed without a coating, could also be set to benefit from the latest innovations.
BePositive 2019 trade show – just a few weeks away – taking PV center stage
The show is expected to grow by 40% compared to last year. And the organizers say solar PV will have a higher profile than ever.
Algeria launches tender for 50 MW of hybrid solar
At the end of December, the Algerian government issued a tender for off-grid gas/diesel and solar projects in non-interconnected areas in the south of the country.
SolarPower Europe calls for 5 GW of EU solar module manufacturing
The European solar association has called on Europe to set up 5 GW of solar PV module manufacturing capacity to cater to the expected around 15 GW of annual demand.
Kostal, RCT Power take the lead in storage system efficiency ranking
Researchers from Berlin’s College for Technology and Economics have determined a ‘system performance index’ for 16 residential storage systems. The index ranks systems according to economic efficiency. The compilers of the index say many manufacturers lack transparency regarding system performance.
Leclanché plans for debt restructure helped by Swiss Takeover Board
Agreement to wave requirement for chief shareholder FEFAM to conduct a full takeover paves way for shareholders to vote through a debt-for-equity swap that will reduce the historic battery maker’s debts by a reported 65% next Tuesday.
Mersen launches solar offensive
The French industrial equipment manufacturer expects to almost double turnover in solar by 2023. The company supplies materials for ingot production as well as providing electrical protection solutions such as fuses, fuse holders, heatsinks, wire management, disconnect switches, laminated busbars and surge protective devices.
