IEA highlights solar’s dependence on Chinese copper processing
The sheer volume of new power lines which will be required to accommodate the rising tide of solar installations ensures copper has been included by the International Energy Agency on its list of minerals which must keep flowing if the energy transition is to stay on course. And it’s not production that’s the potential bottleneck.
Madhya Pradesh tenders 270 MW of solar under PM KUSUM
Developers have until June 21 to bid for grid-connected solar installation under the Scheme that allows farmers to set up PV power plants on their land and benefit from selling the generated power to the State Discoms. The plants, in sizes of 500 kW to 2 MW, shall come upon cultivable or uncultivable land within a 5 km radius of substations.
Water-free, portable cleaning bot for rooftop solar
India’s Aegeus Technologies has developed an autonomous, water-free cleaning bot for rooftop solar installations. The bot weighs 5 kg (with battery) and can be operated remotely through a web-based app. It uses an air wash technology to clean the panels, ensuring no need for water or any harmful chemicals.
SJVN awarded 75 MW solar project in Uttar Pradesh
The State-owned hydropower producer will sell the electricity generated from the solar project to Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) under a 25-year power purchase agreement. Tariff is fixed at INR 2.68/kWh (US$0.037/kWh).
Concrete battery for applications in buildings, rooftop PV
A prototype of a cement-based battery has been developed in Sweden for potential applications in buildings. Its creators claim it could become a solution to store electricity from rooftop PV and they do not exclude that it could also be used for the storage of large-scale renewables.
India again ranked the world’s most attractive solar market by Ernst & Young
The nation maintained the highest score of 62.7 for solar in the latest edition of Ernst & Young’s renewables attractiveness index. It ranked third for overall renewable energy investment.
IREDA amends 5 GW solar tender
The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency has extended the bidding to May 31 and amended the ceiling tariff, maximum viability gap funding, and commissioning timeline for the solar projects.
Solar-plus-storage to produce hydrogen from seawater
Spanish PV project developer Gransolar is planning to build a large-scale green hydrogen production plant in the Port of Almería, in southern Spain.
India’s utility-scale solar installations fell by 39% in FY2021
During the fiscal year 2020-21, India installed utility-scale solar projects amounting to 3.5 GW, about 39% less year-on-year.
Ciel & Terre completes India’s largest floating solar plant
The 14.7 MWp project, developed for Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation (SPIC) Limited, uses an aggregate 37,632 number of 390Wp PV panels and spans an area of 15.6 hectares.
