Flexible heat pumps ideal for power grids congested by solar and wind
Dutch transmission system operator Tennet, which also serves Germany, is planning to create flexible electricity demand and reduce grid congestion by promoting the use of smarter heating systems and heat pumps that can also be powered by solar and wind energy. According to its experts, intelligent control of heat pumps may result in the creation of between 0.5 and 1 GW of temporary grid flexibility by 2030.
Longi launches 420 W panel for rooftop applications
The monocrystalline module provider added a new product to its Hi-MO 4 series. The new panel has a power output of 410/420 W and a conversion efficiency between 20.5% and 21.0%. The width of the module is standardized, while three different length options can be chosen to maximize capacity in a rooftop project.
The long read: PV in the water-energy-food nexus
Sector coupling may be somewhat of a buzzword, but it also points to opportunities for PV beyond the power markets, which may quickly reach limitations during peak hours of irradiation. Combined energy, food and clean water production presents one such opportunity, with benefits for developers, utilities and communities.
Tesla sharpens focus on solar
In an earnings call this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk boldly claimed that the company will soon be “the market leader in solar.”
Solar system prices to rise – then fall – in 2021, with another record year anticipated
IHS Markit is predicting the world will add 30% more solar capacity this year.
Corporate renewables purchases hit record 23.7 GW in 2020
The growth of the global renewables sector in 2020, despite the negative impact of the pandemic, underscores how companies are prioritizing sustainability, BloombergNEF says in a new report.
Bangladesh joins hydrogen energy race
The Bangladeshi government has launched a pilot hydrogen production project as part of its effort to reduce the country’s dependency on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to clean energy.
World could add up to 194 GW of solar this year
Falling module prices will help PV post another record year after an estimated 132 GW was installed worldwide in 2020, according to an energy transition investment trends report published by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
IFC says green recovery could drive $2.5tn renewables market this decade
The private-sector arm of the World Bank, which claims to leverage $3 of its own capital and $8 from third parties for every dollar invested in its blended finance funds, has attempted to quantify what devoting Covid recovery funds to green investment would mean for emerging economies.
Renewables cheaper than fossil fuel plants by 2030
A report by McKinsey & Company reinforces the widely-held view renewables will supplant fossil fuels in the energy system but also joins the chorus of voices warning the world is on track to fall well short of limiting global temperature rises this century to 1.5C.
