Netherlands

In a recent conversation with pv magazine Roland Valckenborg, business developer and project manager at the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), has described the results of a multi-year testing program for colored BIPV modules. Just a few years ago, it it was thought that power yield could be up to 50% lower than conventional panels, but tests have shown a difference of just 10%. Valckenborg says that losses can vary depending on the color of a panel.

A simulation by Utrecht University researchers indicated North Sea PV projects may perform better than a ground-mounted solar generator in the Netherlands. Offshore installations could generate 12.96% more power per year, according to the findings of the study, with the sea acting as a cooling system.

The unfolding effects of the Covid-19 crisis, and fears of a possible second wave, have split analysts trying to guess how the unsubsidized renewables market will emerge as slumping demand continued to distort power markets. pv magazine rounds up the week’s coronavirus developments.

As a focus of research at leading institutes the world over, new developments in the perovskite field come thick and fast almost every week. From x-ray observations on a nanoscale to financing and plans for mass production, pv magazine is bringing together some of the most exciting developments of recent weeks.

Solar capacity is expected to grow to unthinkable levels in the tiny country, according to a new report by Netbeheer Nederland. Under one scenario in which regional governments and companies would take the lead in the energy transition, cumulative solar capacity could reach 125 GW. Under a second scenario, in which growth would be driven by the central government, total PV capacity could hit 106 GW.

Dutch solar distributor Enie is offering to buy rooftop PV systems from cash-strapped owners who will then receive a monthly leasing fee before regaining ownership of the hardware a decade on. The company will pay around 85% of the initial cost of the arrays but said it will not consider systems with ‘poor’ design or components.

Solar project owners responded to an appeal to donate a portion of their solar incentive payments to the public health authorities as another multinational body emphasized the importance of coronavirus fiscal stimulus packages having environmentally-friendly conditions attached.

Dutch company Triple Solar has launched a photovoltaic thermal solar panel for residential buildings which can be connected to a brine or water heat pump. The manufacturer says the heating system based on the panel is an ideal alternative to less efficient air and water heat pumps and more expensive geothermal systems. The grid-connected PV system can export excess power under net metering programs.

Negative energy prices for more than six hours mean the Dutch government will pay no renewables incentives under its SDE+ program for March 29. The plunging electricity price was caused by slumping demand for energy as restrictions were put in place to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The losers in a world which no longer runs on fossil fuels are obvious but the dividend from shrugging off hydrocarbon dependency will be spread around most of the world so it is the nations which are winning the cleantech manufacturing and intellectual property race which appear best positioned for the future.