French agricultural PV specialist Sun’Agri has revealed the results of tests run on a solar plant integrated with viticulture. During heat waves, the company said, vines shaded by solar panels continued to grow and needed less water. “Vines are among the crops most affected by the effects of climate change so it is essential that…
Read more
Arizona could join 16 other states and territories that have targets of 100% clean or renewable electricity by 2050 or sooner. Thirty-two groups in Arizona have called for 50% renewables by 2030. The Arizona Corporation Commission has directed its staff to develop a set of rules to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050, said Commission…
Read more
Compressed hydrogen is “the first viable option” to help meet wintertime electricity demand in a high-renewables grid, says DNV GL, a global consulting firm. Seasonal storage of hydrogen to balance renewable generation will be cost-competitive in 2050, says DNV GL, a Norway-based consulting firm that advises the energy and shipping industries. The firm modeled nonstop…
Read more
A research team in the US has proposed a ‘dual-angle solar harvesting’ method it is claimed could help PV developers optimize energy yield and land use. It is claimed the method would be particularly suitable for projects in cloudier climates and at higher latitudes. Researchers from New Jersey’s Rutgers University have argued large scale solar plants could…
Read more
The CEO of Norwegian floating solar company Ocean Sun has spoken to pv magazine about his company’s innovative design for floating PV projects in near-shore locations and semi-sheltered waters. A pilot project built in the Philippines last year, said Børge Bjørneklett, is providing better-than-expected power output. Norwegian quality assurance and risk management company DNV GL has awarded compatriot solar…
Read more
U.S. researchers have conducted detailed balance calculations to show the ultimate potential of underwater solar cells. According to their findings, the devices could theoretically produce useful power at up to 65% efficiency in clear waters. However, this would only be possible by using wide-band-gap semiconductors, which have not been considered for solar cells used for…
Read more
Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. has opened bids to develop 700 MW of solar capacity in India. India’s Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) has opened bids to develop 700 MW of solar projects at the 1 GW Dholera Solar Park. Selected projects – to be set up on build-own-operate basis – will be awarded a 25-year power…
Read more
The Renewable Energy Project Development Office has prequalified 49 developers for the tender. Four large-scale solar projects will be built via the procurement exercise. Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) has published a list of the prequalified bidders for the 1.2 GW solar tender it launched in late January. The list features 49 bidders, including some of…
Read more
The Barbados Water Authority is seeking proposals for three PV plants for a total 4.5 MW of generation capacity plus a 2 MW micro turbine. The installations will power pumping stations. Regional organization the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center has tendered for 4.5 MW of solar generation capacity and a 2 MW micro turbine plus other components…
Read more
Spanish utility Iberdrola plans to link a 100 MW/20 MWh solar-plus-storage plant to hydrogen production in Puertollano, in southern Spain. The project will require an investment of up to €150 million euros and will be one of the largest installations of its kind in Europe. Spanish energy group Iberdrola plans to develop a large-scale green…
Read more
