Power Plants

In arid regions soiling can greatly impact the energy yield of PV systems and drive up their O&M costs. Benjamin Figgis, Amir Abdallah, Maulid Kivambe, Brahim Aissa, Kamran Ali, Cédric Broussillou and Veronica Bermudez of the Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute and Klemens Ilse of the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics review the main challenges associated with soiling of PV plants globally, and the most promising techniques for dust prevention and cleaning in dry climates, drawing on research results from six years of PV performance and soiling studies at the QEERI’s Outdoor Test Facility in Doha

Sonnedix has acquired a 23MW portfolio in Italy from investment group, Ellomay Luxembourg Holdings.

ACWA Power has penned two long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Ethiopia’s state-owned Ethiopian Electric Power for 250MWac of solar in the nation.

Energy major Statkraft has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Spanish solar IPP Solaria.

Norwegian state-owned energy giant Equinor has increased its stake in international solar developer, Scatec Solar.

Solar developer Silicon Ranch and utility Walton EMC have extended their solar relationship with Facebook, committing to build a further two solar farms for the social media giant.

The freshly-commissioned 167.5GWh Almeyda plant is contracted to supply power to Chile's state-owned copper mining company through a long-term PPA.

Cecilia Keating concludes PV Tech’s end-of-year review, with a look back at Q4 2019's highlights, where bifacial modules narrowly missed being added to President Trump's broader suite of solar tariffs, free-market solar swept Europe, the world's climate priorities were put under the microscope at COP25, and sub-Saharan Africa wrestled with major energy crises.

Solar investor Foresight has penned a 10-year power purchase agreement with EDF Trading for a 50MW project in Spain.

UK renewables developer GRIDSERVE has completed a “game changing” hybrid solar-plus-storage farm in York, UK, claiming it to be the first in the UK to boast single-axis trackers and bifacial panels.