Solar ... In the news

Martyn1981

theboylard wrote: »

I wonder if this will lift any muck/bird poo on the panels?
For those stubborn pigeon/seagull dumps that won't budge by jetwash alone, use new PV Poo Stop

Directions:
1. Ignite house.
2. Ring 999. :rotfl:

Martyn1981

Not great news for Welsh PV, but support for marine energy is welcome.

Welsh first minister ‘can’t see a future for solar’ within Welsh renewable electricity target

However, speaking to Solar Power Portal at the opening of the Pen y Cymoedd onshore wind farm – the largest in Wales and home to Vattenfall’s forthcoming EFR battery project – first minster Carwyn Jones said the targets would be met with a mixture of wind, marine and some hydroelectric projects.

Citing the cuts to and closures of subsidies paid to solar, Jones said: “At the moment I can’t see a future for solar because of the actions of the UK government, and we regret that.

“What we need to do is encourage as many different sources of energy as possible to reach our target…and we want to see resources made available for solar. [However] the UK government just knows what it doesn’t want and not what it does want and that is bad news for energy producers at the moment. We need to see some direction from London to match the direction we have outlined here in Wales.”

zeupater

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Not great news for Welsh PV, but support for marine energy is welcome.

Welsh first minister ‘can’t see a future for solar’ within Welsh renewable electricity target

Hi

Seems like a pretty odd comment for a 'first minister' to make at the opening ceremony of an on-shore wind project considering the reports of subsidy-free offshore wind and solar PV farms ...

Simply looks like a diversionary remark aimed to take a little heat off the level of subsidies required by a couple of 'marine energy' projects much closer to the Welsh Assembly's seat of power to me ....

HTH
Z

Martyn1981

Interesting article looking at the role of PV and batts in Puerto Rica going forward, and wider discussion on the shift to micro-grids rather than large single grids that can go down completely.

Hurricanes Clear The Way For Tesla To Power Puerto Rico & The Caribbean

Time For The Microgrid Solution

That is not to say that solar panels can’t be damaged by storms like Hurricane Irma and Maria. But a power supply structure composed of microgrids is far more resilient than a conventional grid. That’s one of the reasons Tesla is racing to complete the world’s largest battery storage facility in Australia, where freak storms toppled the towers supporting high tension power lines connecting Melbourne and Adelaide earlier this year. It also has experience powering entire islands mostly with renewable energy, albeit on a smaller scale than would be involved in Puerto Rico.

Martyn1981

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Interesting article looking at the role of PV and batts in Puerto Rica going forward, and wider discussion on the shift to micro-grids rather than large single grids that can go down completely.

Hurricanes Clear The Way For Tesla To Power Puerto Rico & The Caribbean

Further to this, I watched a very interesting (and short - 7mins) video on the potential to build a modern grid in Puerto Rico since the current one, which was largely defunct before the hurricane, is now in even worse shape.

The interesting/important bit here is looking at the value of changing grids rather than trying to adapt them for renewables.

How Tesla Could Make Puerto Rico a Shining Beacon For Renewable, Distributed Energy

NigeWick

Martyn1981 wrote: »

The interesting/important bit here is looking at the value of changing grids rather than trying to adapt them for renewables.

I think there will always be a sort of grid to allow me to supply my neighbours and local areas to supply other local areas, as well as saving some locally generated electricity to local area batteries. Then there's large scale generation to supply industrial uses.

Martyn1981

Solar prices are just getting silly now.

A while back a PV tender was issued at $28/MWh making it the cheapest leccy tender .... for any technology, but it was quickly beaten by a contract for $24/MWh.

So how about $18/MWh, and part of the consortium is EDF, who besides trying to save the French nuclear industry by charging the UK a fortune for HPC, are also deploying vast amounts of PV all around the world.

Saudi Arabia’s 300 MW solar tender may conclude with lowest bid ever

A consortium formed by UAE-based Masdar and French energy giant EDF has offered to deploy all the tendered capacity at a LCOE of 6.697 SAR ($0.0178) per kWh. In addition, seven of the eight bids were under $0.03 per kWh. The tender’s bidders will be announced by the end of January 2018.

Martyn1981

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Further to this, I watched a very interesting (and short - 7mins) video on the potential to build a modern grid in Puerto Rico since the current one, which was largely defunct before the hurricane, is now in even worse shape.

The interesting/important bit here is looking at the value of changing grids rather than trying to adapt them for renewables.

How Tesla Could Make Puerto Rico a Shining Beacon For Renewable, Distributed Energy

Further to my further too ....... now Puerto Rico is chatting with Elon Musk about the potential of a RE + battery grid.

Gotta say, did not see that coming, certainly not so soon. Perhaps Trump's 'unpleasantness' towards PR has got them thinking about fixing things properly.

Elon Musk says he can rebuild Puerto Rico's power grid with solar

My understanding is that PR has excellent wind resources too, so PV + wind + batts, could be interesting.

Martyn1981

Government has announced their latest Clean Growth Strategy and completely ignored PV.

STA accuses government of ‘artificially holding back’ solar PV

This morning the government published its long-awaited Clean Growth Strategy featuring little in the way of solar-specific announcements. Large-scale solar was not mentioned, while the only supports for small-scale renewables on offer related to possible actions post-2019.

This comes despite, the STA today pointed out, solar being “implicit” in many other policies set to be implemented, including those covering electric vehicle charging, public sector emissions reduction and industrial sector efficiency.

Chris Hewett, policy manager at the STA, said it seemed “extraordinary” for the government to fail to respond to calls for a level playing field with other technologies.

“This technology will dominate global power supply in years to come so in the interests of UK plc, the government needs to stop putting the UK solar industry at a competitive disadvantage.

“Whether it is tax breaks for fossil fuels, a continued emphasis on big centralised power over local power, or access to auctions - solar is not being treated fairly. Solar empowers local people and communities, and it stimulates smart innovation more than any other energy technology.

Solar again overlooked in UK’s £557m clean energy support package

Confirmation of sizeable financial support for offshore wind, marine power, biomass CHP and energy from waste welcomed by renewable energy groups, but government’s solar blind spot continues.

Onshore wind and solar power will once again be blocked from competing for subsidy – a fact that was met with dismay by the REA.

The STA’s argument is that solar can deliver clean power at around £50 – £54/MWh by 2020, which would make it effectively net subsidy-free by that date – provided it gets a final push by being able to compete in the next CfD auction.

Martyn1981

Cool use of PV:-

Netherlands to install solar highway noise barriers