With South Africa faced with ongoing power cuts, Jules Scully explores the how solar PV can help decarbonise the country’s coal-heavy grid while providing energy security.
South Africa’s solar sector has welcomed a new reform that will increase the country’s licensing exemption threshold for embedded generation projects from 1MW to 100MW.
Queensland will invest AU$2 billion (US$1.55 billion) on renewables and hydrogen jobs to support the Australian state’s economic recovery from COVID-19 and help it deliver on its 50% clean energy target by 2030.
Green energy investments in developing countries will need to reach US$1 trillion within the next nine years for the world to reach net zero emissions by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The US could create between 500,000 – 600,000 jobs across the solar, wind and battery storage sectors if it reaches 50 – 70% renewables generation by 2030, research from new trade body the American Clean Power Association suggests.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) aims to bring the cost of making clean hydrogen down 80% in 10 years as part of a wider call for new developments in the energy sector.
Solar PV power systems contributed to 11.4% of Spain’s power mix last month, setting a new record for monthly production, according to new data from grid operator Red Eléctrica de España.
Spain’s PV sector has been boosted by a new auction mechanism that aims to support at least 10GW of capacity by 2025. José Donoso, general director of Spanish solar association UNEF, discusses what is driving growth and the various policies that the industry is asking for.
Abu Dhabi-based Masdar has won a tender to build a 457MW solar plant in Uzbekistan, taking the developer’s awarded PV capacity through the country’s tenders to almost 1GW.
