Update: solar hydrogen in Europe
Smartenergy is driving solar hydrogen production in Portugal. Christian Pho Duc, the company’s CTO and managing director H2 projects, discusses the EU regulatory environment, costs, and his motivation to equip photovoltaic plants with electrolyzers.
Final thought: Diverse batteries are key
Marta Victoria, Assistant Professor, Aarhus University
Different shades of green
Most long-term power delivery contracts with renewable energy systems involve the delivery of electricity through the public grid via off-site power purchase agreements. This leads to a key question: “How do I as a customer know when and if I am really using renewable electricity, and how can I prove that?” Simon Göß and Michael Claußner from Energy Brainpool GmbH & Co. KG, a European market research firm focused on energy trading, address these questions. They note how the development of green hydrogen is an opportunity to create more flexible power markets by fostering the adoption of renewables.
Return of the sun tax
Australia’s success with widespread residential take-up of solar PV installations may be facing a stumbling block, a new proposal by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), the rule maker of the nation’s grid. And for solar veterans, the development summons the ghoul of Spain’s infamous “sun tax.”
Corporate acceleration
With solar declared the cheapest form of power in history, and wind prices following a similar trajectory, corporate energy users are buying renewable power and investing in new capacity at scale. But more companies need to step up. Governments around the world must remove policy barriers and open new markets to competition from renewables if we are to reach the scale of investment needed to achieve a 1.5-degree world, according to Sam Kimmins, the head of RE100.
Final thought – Durable storage
Crissy He, global marketing director, Fox ESS
Probes confront EU market barriers
The European Commission’s antitrust investigation into EPEX Spot has revealed barriers for the integration of renewables in wholesale power markets. Challenges appear in a range of European marketplaces, but investigations and reforms appear to be clearing barriers to entry.
Urban solar
Buildings are considered to be a major driver of emissions. In addition to the predicted billions of square meters of space that will be built across the world over the next decade, most developments standing today will still be around in 2050. Thus, retrofitting existing structures is seen as a key sustainability target. In the fourth quarter of 2021, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on the role that solar and energy storage can play in greening the world’s urban spaces.
Insurers derail EU decarbonization
Though the shift away from burning fossil fuels for power is essential for meeting climate coals, Czech coal plants are backed by major insurers, often with careful loopholes designed to support ongoing arrangements. Radek Kubala and Josef Patočka from Re-set explain.
pv magazine test: July 2021 results
We are pleased to present the latest batch of energy yield results from the outdoor test field in Xi’an, China. In this issue, we look at the July results, alongside additional analysis from George Touloupas, director of technology and quality at CEA.
