Using PV, wind and CSP, a ‘Supergrid’ interconnecting North Africa and Europe could take both regions close to 100% renewable energy by 2050, but would require political will and ambitious market design, an expert at Fraunhofer ISE has said.
The impact of distributed solar-plus-storage, including aggregated systems, will be included in an assessment of electricity storage’s participation in wholesale electricity markets by the US’ national regulator, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
GCL System Integration has bought a 51% stake in One Stop Warehouse, an Australian wholesale distributor of solar products, claiming it has been partly pushed by anti-dumping rules affecting its module supply business in Europe and the US.
Solar Impulse 2, the “zero fuel airplane” which began a round-the-world attempt last year, is set to resume flying from the Hawaii base where it has been grounded since last July.
SMA’s US$20 million investment in ‘smart module’ maker Tigo Energy could help the string inverter maker to meet much-debated fire safety standards that are likely to be introduced in the US, according to one industry analyst.
Chinese rechargeable battery, electric transport and clean energy company BYD has been signed up as a “preferred partner” to Abu Dhabi-headquartered Masdar.
RES (Renewable Energy Systems) claims the company’s experience with structuring solar, wind and transmission finance deals has made successful financing of large-scale battery projects possible.
Industry-watchers, environmental groups and think tanks have commented on news this morning that the biggest coal mining company in the US, Peabody Energy, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing downturn in the coal industry as a major factor.
Unsubsidised, commercial solar-plus-storage projects of the type being executed in Puerto Rico could demonstrate how to overcome many of the challenges imminent for the world’s PV markets, according to one company with experience in the field.
