Solar ... In the news

Solarchaser

You know, it really grates me when you see this kind of "daily mail" article, where if you want the truth, ignore the headline and 90% of the article, and just read the last paragraph. 

So its really only the most expensive ones it would work for.

Not criticising you for sharing the article Martyn, just tired of having to muddle through the spin to get to the truth.

Martyn1981

Hiya, sorry, but I'm more than a bit baffled by that. You say 'only the most expensive', but as the article points out these are more than 50% already, as explained early on (in para's 1,2,3&4), and paragraphs I quoted.
So PV cheaper than new coal, and already cheaper than most existing coal, which seemed like very big news to me.
Totally with you about spin, and where I spot it I try to mention/explain when I post articles, so I appreciate your concern, but on this occasion it seems very straightforward (to me) unless I'm missing something?
Edit - Was it because I said the 'majority' of existing coal plants, as I did hesitate to say that yesterday as it might have seemed too positive, but then figured if it's more than 50% already, and PV costs are still falling (and maybe coal will be hit with higher carbon taxes) then it was acceptable, but as I admit, I did think twice?

Martyn1981

So, cheaper PV, that lasts longer, and has lower running costs, that sounds like a good thing, I wonder when it will happ........ oh it already has.

PV plants lasting longer, with lower operational costs

Solar project developers, long-term owners, and other industry participants surveyed by Berkeley Lab expect utility-scale solar plants to have a useful life of 32.5 years, up from 21.5 years in 2007, when the surveys began.

“Directionally, this tracks the increase over time of the typical duration of module warranties,” says the Berkeley Lab report on the survey results.

The industry participants surveyed expect that levelized, lifetime operational expenditure (OpEx) will be $17/kWDC per year, down from $35/kWDC per year for projects built in 2007.

Solarchaser

Maybe I read it wrong, what i seen was.
Solar definitely cheaper than all coal.
Solar cheaper than most coal
Solar cheaper than only the most expensive coal.

Martyn1981

Solarchaser said:

Maybe I read it wrong, what i seen was.
Solar definitely cheaper than all coal.
Solar cheaper than most coal
Solar cheaper than only the most expensive coal.

Yep, I see what you mean*. The great news soon hopefully is that it will be cheaper than all coal (already if we include externality costs), though just to avoid any over optimism, locations like the UK with less sun will be last, and we should really include some sort of storage cost to be fair, though coal isn't that flexible (like gas) for demand following, and the Catch 22 is that whilst newer, more efficient plants can ramp faster, it's the newer ones (that have to cover CAPEX) that PV is already cheaper than.
Confused ..... yeah, but it's Saul Goodman.

*I think they gave the most expensive figure just as an example, but the really good news is that this is actually happening in the US already, with more and more coal generation closing purely because RE (and also cheap gas) is undercutting it. Brutal economics at its best/worse.

Solarchaser

Yeah the news is definitely positive,  I just want to see it plain and straight.

Though tbh I'm probably just fed up with spin in general

Coastalwatch

It's not rocket science combining Solar and crops and these two seem like ideal partners.

I wonder if they'll also install bee hives and produce honey to sell as well.

How environmentally friendly can you get. Should silence the "green" critics of Solar farms anyway!

Perdue Farms Becomes the First Poultry Company in the United States To Create a Pollinator-Friendly Habitat Throughout its Solar Installation

SALISBURY, Md., June 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that 75% of food crops rely at least partially on pollination*. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the pollinator population in the United States has suffered tremendous losses, including the honey bees which American farmers rely on to pollinate crops.** Additionally, as part of the Department of Energy's InSPIRE research project, Argonne National Laboratory found that the area around solar panels could provide an ideal location for the plants that are beneficial to pollinators.*** Recognizing the unique leadership role it can play in this area, Perdue Farms announces it has become the first poultry company in the United States to have pollinator-friendly ground cover at a company solar installation. It is located at the company's headquarters in Salisbury, Maryland. The announcement coincides with World Environment Day on June 5, which celebrates biodiversity this year.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perdue-farms-becomes-the-first-poultry-company-in-the-united-states-to-create-a-pollinator-friendly-habitat-throughout-its-solar-installation-301071146.html

Martyn1981

If I recall correctly, many years ago there were some news items that mentioned a side effect of ground based PV farms was that they seemed to encourage more diversity and meadow flowers.
But don't write-off the critics yet, they have an incredible ability to find a negative with everything green given enough time, and large enough blinkers.

Martyn1981

Large subsidy free PV rollout in Denmark.

Huge Subsidy-Free Partnership On 500 MW+ Expansion Of Solar PV In Denmark

Hamburg, May 26, 2020 — Encavis AG (Prime Standard, ISIN: DE0006095003) is pleased to announce that it has signed a partnership agreement with GreenGo Energy Group a/s concerning a 500 MW+ portfolio of utility scale subsidy-free solar projects in Denmark.

Martyn1981

Abu Dhabi sees a massive reduction in PV generation price in just 3yrs

1.35 Cents/kWh: Record Abu Dhabi Solar Bid Is A Sober Reminder To Upbeat Fossil Fuel Pundits

A rather meaningful piece of energy news went almost unnoticed in recent weeks. The Abu Dhabi Power Corporation announced the lowest tariff for solar energy in the world. The new record came as the winning bid for the upcoming 2 gigawatt (GW) solar power plant, the Al Dhafra Solar PV project, set the world’s most cost-competitive tariff for solar PV energy, at USD 1.35 cents/kWh (AED 4.97 fils/kWh in local currency). This is approximately 44% lower than the tariff set just three years ago for the “Noor Abu Dhabi” project – Abu Dhabi’s first large-scale solar 1.2GW PV project and a world record tariff-setter at the time — which commenced its commercial operation back in April 2019.