Andrew Burger of Microgrid Media looks at international developments in solar power. In particular, mini and micro-grids are key for emerging economies. In Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, and more, people are taking advantage of cheap renewables.
All posts tagged: Solar
South Africa’s energy plan: biased towards nuclear
The price of solar and wind energy has dropped so dramatically in South Africa (SA), it is now almost half the cost of coal electricity. So why is government’s new energy plan biased towards expensive nuclear plants, and leaving renewable sources as an afterthought? asks Leonie Joubert. If RE industrialisation doesn’t take off in SA, it will be slow across the rest of the subcontinent.
Green for benefits
Luxembourg has been aiming to reach its 2020 energy objectives, but there are some difficulties in reducing emissions which come from being a small, transit country. Nonetheless, the government is implementing various strategies to improve efficiency and transportation. Nora Weis has the details.
Everything you always wanted to know about PV…
… but didn’t know where to ask. Today, Craig Morris presents Fraunhofer ISE’s update of its annual “Recent facts about photovoltaics in Germany.” In addition to German specifics, the review covers a lot of general info about solar power. For instance, how can we spread solar power production across more hours without storage?
Why auctions? Germany to cut renewables growth in half
On Tuesday, the German Wind Energy Association (BWE) published stats on new turbines in 2016. Both onshore and off, wind growth continues to be healthy. And PV was also added roughly in line to keep feed-in tariffs from rising. Craig Morris takes a look.
Renewable sector calls for stable energy policy environment
This year, the South African government has the chance to set in place the kind of policy environment that will incubate local manufacturers and encourage foreign investment in the renewable energy sector here. But if the current draft policy is approved, it will create market uncertainty and drive investors away, writes Leonie Joubert.
The emergent solar markets of 2016
Where in the world is solar going? During 2016, prices fell, capacity expanded, and the future of photovoltaics is looking bright. In this article, Tom Kenning takes a look at solar expansion in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
This article has been republished with permission from PV-Tech.org
Will power prices ever support new nuclear build?
Although some have argued that new nuclear is necessary for the power mix, Jan Ondřich disagrees. He takes a look at the numbers and finds that in the next 30 years, there’s no way that nuclear can compete with a mix of solar, wind, and gas.
French solar roads – silly walks
France’s environmental minister Ségolène Royale is rolling out 1,000 kilometers of a technology that will both be bad solar and bad road. Craig Morris critiques.
India’s solar power set to outshine coal
Solar power in India will be cheaper than imported coal by 2020, but replacing the subcontinent’s fossil fuels with renewable energy is an enormous task. Henner Weithöner explains the potential of a solar takeover.