Markets

Nobody wants their PV systems to catch fire, but little is known about how to actually prevent such incidents.

Conventional incentives such as renewable portfolio standards, feed-in tariffs or feed-in premium payments may lead to a price cannibalisation scenario for wind and solar, according to a new study from a German-Swedish research group. CO2 pricing is, however, considered an efficient tool to maintain their market value high enough to ensure new investments. A total system cost approach, rather than an LCOE perspective, is needed to understand the strong dependence of market value on policy choice though.

The economic benefits of rooftop solar PV have been reinforced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, with a new report revealing solar customers in the National Electricity Market are paying about 30% less for their electricity than their non-solar counterparts.

This year, PV cell manufacturers will face the challenge of transformation. Apart from adjusting the ratio of production for different-sized cells, some manufacturers are turning to next-generation opportunities, shifting investment from p-PERC to n-type technology. PV InfoLink Analyst Amy Fang discusses the issues facing n-type cell development this year.

Despite the impact of the pandemic and associated economic crisis, 2020 saw unprecedented growth in the solar market. With the International Energy Agency stating that high rates of capacity additions are the new normal, has the energy and investment environment fundamentally changed? Felicia Jackson in London explores these issues.

If the three record-busting low solar price tariffs recorded in the Middle East in the past 18 months are to be believed, renewables-powered hydrogen in prime sites in the region could already compete with gas-plus-CCS production, according to IRENA. Has the Gulf discovered the new petrol?

Spanish EPC Gransolar Group’s four member companies across the entire value chain are combining on its first hybrid power plant. The 5 MW solar + storage hybrid power plant near Dalby, Queensland, will supply solar energy to grid service provider Ergon while also taking advantage of all the other revenue streams available to energy storage projects.

A survey of 300 business decision-makers across Australia has found nearly 40% of large businesses and 21% of small to medium enterprises are unhappy with their current energy contracts, with 62% of respondents saying they would be willing to switch.

Investments in solar and wind in the Asia Pacific could double over the next decade compared to 2011 – 2020, hitting AU$1.7 trillion, according to new analysis by Wood Mackenzie.

Tasmania’s port authority has entered into an agreement with Fortescue Future Industries for land and operating access for its proposed 250 MW green hydrogen plant at Bell Bay, in Tasmania’s north.