Installations

Scientists in Bangladesh have evaluated how a 50 MW floating PV plant could be integrated with the 230 MW Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station, located at the Kaptai Dam on the Karnaphuli River. They found that the two energy sources can be perfectly optimized and that PV can compensate for the reservoir’s shortage of water storage during the winter season while hydropower can compensate for the poor yields of the floating array during the monsoon season.

Energy Vault secured $100 million in Series C funding for its EVx tower, which stores gravitational potential energy for grid dispatch.

Developers and EPC contractors have until September 30 to apply for grid-connected, ground-mount solar installation under the Scheme that allows farmers to set up PV power plants on their uncultivable land and sell the generated power to the State Discoms. The plants, in sizes of 500 kW to 2 MW, shall come upon land within a 10 km radius of substations.

Despite rising module prices and lockdown restrictions, the nation maintained its quarterly solar capacity installation above the 2 GW level in the second quarter.

The comparison of two solar cladded roofs in Sydney, Australia, one bare beneath its panels and the other adorned with native grasses and plants, has found the panels on the green roof were, on average, 3.63% more efficient, producing an average daily output 13% greater than the conventional roof. The improvements are believed to stem from the lower temperatures on the green roof, thanks to its plants – which also provided a plethora of additional benefits.

A 6 MW solar plant, coupled with a 15 MWh battery energy storage system, will meet the village’s day and night electricity requirements. Moreover, 1kW rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses.  

The 3 kW inverter has an efficiency of 95% and features a surge power of 9000 VA. According to the manufacturer, the device is compatible with mainstream lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries.

The outlook is supported by a strong project pipeline, competitive tariffs, and continued policy support. The demand outlook for domestic solar module manufacturers also remains favorable. 

The latest renewables investment report produced by analyst BloombergNEF has noted backing for solar projects continued to rise in the first half as wind power investment fell back.

The figures paint a better picture for India than other Asian nations, where fossil fuel-based generation accounted for a much bigger share in meeting the rise in electricity demand.