Nigeria kicks off tender for 10 MW solar park
The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is seeking proposals for a 10 MW grid-connected solar plant in Kumbotso, Nigeria.
SunPower sells off its O&M business, gets regulatory approval for Maxeon spinoff
SunPower has had to make fundamental changes to continue to be relevant in a solar industry very different from that of its roots. The company aims to become an energy service provider and is leaving low-cost manufacturing to its Chinese partner.
Hungary to hold another renewables auction this year
In its next procurement exercise, the Hungarian government will allocate 77% of the available renewable subsidies that it failed to assign in March’s auction.
Unsubsidized 350 MW PV project in the UK
Hive Energy has been planning the Cleve Hill Solar Park since 2017. It now expects to secure final approval from the U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy by the end of this month.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: 3.95 GW of new PV in Q1, new 500 W-plus modules, and a panel with 23.2% efficiency
China’s cumulative installed PV capacity topped 208 GW at the end of March, thanks to 3.95 GW of new projects completed in the first quarter. JinkoSolar and Longi both joined the 500 W-plus module race, with their new panels offering 580 W and 530 W of output, respectively. Ginlong, meanwhile, has revealed plans to raise funds to increase its annual inverter production capacity to 20 GW, and Xi’An Solar has claimed a 23.2% efficiency rate for its N-type TOPCon modules in mass production.
Romanian oil provider goes solar
OMV Petrom has installed rooftop PV arrays on 40 of its gas stations across Romania.
Turkey plans 1 GW solar tender before October
Minister of energy Fatih Dönmez announced the procurement exercise, which is part of a plan to relaunch the nation’s economy during the Covid-19 crisis.
Serbia moves forward with renewables auctions
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is helping the Serbian government to define its new procurement plan. The international lender is currently seeking consultants to implement the scheme.
Australia’s rooftop PV juggernaut displaces fossil fuel generators
The unstoppable growth of Australia’s rooftop PV fleet continues to eat into the pie previously reserved for coal and gas, a new audit of the National Electricity Market shows. Meanwhile, the nation’s electricity consumption has remained mostly flat despite the economic slowdown triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The challenges and tricks of tacking on battery storage to solar projects
Specialist Alencon Systems teamed up with U.S. utility Duke Energy to look at some of the challenges faced by energy companies when adding battery storage to operational solar installations. Do you go for DC-coupled or AC-coupled? And with what sort of grounding scheme?
