Solar bike paths go online in Netherlands
Two new PV bike-path projects are now operating in the Netherlands under an initiative launched in 2018 by Rijkswaterstaat, the Dutch water management agency.
Lightsource bp targets renewables growth after offloading solar farm portfolio
Solar developer Lightsource bp has declared that proceeds from the sale of five utility scale PV projects in Australia with a combined capacity of more than 1 GW will be used to fast track the development of a pipeline of projects across the wider Asia Pacific region.
AVL progresses ‘pit to battery’ strategy with vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility
Construction of Perth-based minerals company Australian Vanadium Limited’s first commercial vanadium battery electrolyte manufacturing plant has been successfully completed as part of the company’s broader value-adding vision.
Trina lands development consent for 200 MW NSW solar farm
Solar technology manufacturing heavyweight Trina Solar has secured conditional development approval from the New South Wales government for a 200 MW solar farm to be developed in the state’s southeast.
Waste heat from PV panels used to generate residential hot water
Scientists in the United States has developed a new photovoltaic-thermal system design that utilises parallel water pipes as a cooling system to reduce the operating temperature of photovoltaic panels. The waste heat generated by this process is then used to generate domestic hot water.
Solar’s ‘success story’ could soon be over, says SolarPower Europe
European Union member states have installed a “record-breaking” 56 GW of PV over the last 12 months – consistent with the past three years of 40% year-on-year growth, according to SolarPower Europe. But the association warns that solar’s moment in the sun could soon be over, as energy prices stabilise and project interest rates skyrocket.
Weekend read: Famine to feast, China’s solar market in 2023
China’s solar industry rebounded in 2023 after years of pandemic-related sluggishness. As the year draws to a close, Vincent Shaw looks back at key highlights of 2023 and considers the prospects for 2024.
Energy ministers move to ensure orderly phase-out of coal
The New South Wales government has released the design of a proposed new plan that would give Australia’s energy ministers the power to direct coal-fired and other generators to continue operations if the capacity is deemed necessary to maintain grid reliability and security.
Fortescue plugs in electric excavator as lineup of zero emission mining equipment expands
Australia’s first electric excavator has been deployed at a mine site in Western Australia’s Pilbara while a trial of what is claimed to be the world’s largest battery-electric underground mining truck continues in the state’s Goldfields region.
Coal all but gone by 2034 under Australia’s latest energy roadmap
Australia’s coal power stations will all close in 2038 – five years earlier than previously expected – and variable renewable energy capacity will need to triple by 2030 and increase sevenfold by 2050.
