Chile’s 2023 solar installations hit 1.65 GW
Chile’s cumulative installed PV capacity reached 8.5 GW at the end of December 2023, on 1.65 GW of new projects for the year. The cumulative PV total represents 25.6% of the nation’s total power generation capacity.
Chilean copper miner Codelco assigns 1.8 TWh/year in renewables auction
Colbún, Atlas Renewable Energy, and Innergex were the winners of National Copper Corporation of Chile’s (Codelco) latest procurement exercise. They secured 15-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) to supply clean power from 2026.
Grenergy secures PPA for 260 MW-1,100 MWh of solar-plus-storage in Chile
Grenergy said its new power purchase agreement (PPA) for 260 MW/1,100 MWh of solar-plus-storage in Chile has a duration of 15 years. The installation is part of the fourth phase of the massive 1 GW/4 GWh Oasis de Atacama solar-plus-storage project.
Weekend Read: Temper tantrum
Reports of broken module glass with no obvious cause have begun to crop up at large PV projects. Module design, glass manufacturing, and interactions in the field between modules and trackers are at play and a clear solution has yet to emerge. Early signs suggest an update to certification standards may be needed.
PowerChina finalizes construction of 480 MW PV plant in Chile
PowerChina has finished building a 480 MW solar plant in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, which is recognized for having the world’s highest solar radiation levels.
Researchers apply thresholding to PV soiling image analysis
Thresholding methods have commonly been used to characterize the soiling accumulated on glass coupons. Researchers led by the Sapienza University of Rome have identified 16 automatic thresholding methods that may be used for analyzing soiling on PV panels.
Chile approves plan to allocate public land for energy storage projects
A new initiative by the Chilean Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of National Assets is expected to cover storage projects with an aggregate capacity of 13 GWh, distributed mainly in the regions from Arica y Parinacota to Atacama.
Chile covers 20.7% of October electricity demand with solar
Chile covered 20.7% of its electricity demand in October with solar power. The nation has 9.18 GW of cumulative installed PV capacity, accounting for 26% of its total power generation capacity.
Logistics company testing PV-powered electric truck for remote locations
Gebrüder Weiss is testing electric trucks with two electric motors and 7.4 kWp of PV output. The modules are installed on the top of the trucks and as mobile extensions.
The race for 100% solar
With utility scale solar installations accelerating, Philip Wolfe, founder of PV data consultancy Wiki-Solar, drills into the data to highlight some interesting variations in relative progress around the world.
