• July 19, 2022

The controversial Oberon solar project is the third solar installation approved under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Program. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has finalized the construction of the Oberon Solar Project on approximately 2,700 acres of land managed by BLM near the Desert Center in Riverside County, California. This solar project is the third to be approved for full construction under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Program and is an example of how California's public lands can play an important role in meeting the Biden-Harris administration's goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035 . The Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Program (DRECP), an interagency planning effort covering 22.5 million acres in seven California counties, has two primary goals. First, provide a streamlined process for developing utility-scale renewable energy generation and transmission in the Southern California desert in accordance with federal and state renewable energy goals and policies. Second, the long-term protection and management of special species and desert vegetation communities and other physical, cultural, scenic and social resources within the DRECP program area through durable regulatory mechanisms. Both the BLM and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) have legal responsibility to protect wildlife under the Federal Endangered Species Act and the California Endangered Species Act. BLM must ensure that the needs of wildlife, fish and plants are taken into account when authorizing land use. CDFW requires project developers to avoid, minimize and/or compensate for impacts on fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. Despite these safeguards, environmental groups have voiced their opposition to the Oberon solar project. Basin and Range Watch is one such group, with the following statement on its website: "Despite new mitigation measures negotiated by BLM between controversial environmental assessment and final decision under DRECP, project will kill large amounts of desert Ironwood trees—an endangered vegetation community in California.”

• July 13, 2022

China's Huawei has been named the world's largest inverter supplier for the seventh consecutive year, followed by Sungrow and Growatt, according to a Wood Mackenzie report. According to a new report by Wood Mackenzie, Huawei is the world's largest inverter supplier by shipments in 2021, followed by Sungrow. The two companies have held the top spot since 2016, with Huawei holding the top spot for seven consecutive years. In 2021, global PV inverter shipments will reach 225,3GWac, a 22% increase over 2021. The analyst firm noted: "Huawei's market share will remain stable at 23% in 2021, while Sungrow is not far behind, growing from about 19% in 2020 to about 21%. The third runner-up, Growatt, has a 7% market share, replacing SMA dropped to sixth place. The top three suppliers together control more than half of the global solar PV inverter market.” According to Wood Mackenzie, GoodWe has jumped four places in 2021 and is now No. 5, thanks to high shipments to the Asia-Pacific region, particularly China and South Korea. “Israel’s SolarEdge enters the top ten for the first time – it will be ninth in 2021, adding about 1,000 MW.” Last year, Asia Pacific was again the largest market, accounting for more than half of total shipments. The shares of Europe and the United States are 23% and 14%, respectively.

• July 06, 2022

Enerwhere has designed a mobile solar-plus-storage installation for off-grid locations such as oil and gas fields and construction sites. It can be adapted to different needs and is scalable for megawatt-scale projects. Dubai-based solar developer Enerwhere Sustainable Energy DMCC has designed a solar cell container solution for off-grid applications in remote locations or construction sites. The company says the mobile unit can be moved and redeployed every two weeks and can be set up in as little as two hours. A company spokesperson told pv magazine: “We custom designed the trailer and assembled the battery cart and foldable solar cells ourselves. This containerized solution is ideal for oil fields, races, emergency power in disaster areas, agriculture and Construction." The company uses batteries from Germany's Alpha ESS and 370 W solar modules from Chinese manufacturer GCL Integrated Technology Co., Ltd. The panel has a power conversion efficiency of 19.1% and a temperature coefficient of -0.33% per degree Celsius. They weigh 22.2kg and measure 1965mm x 992mm x 35mm. The company is currently testing the system in Oman with a PV capacity of 74 kW and an energy storage capacity of 50 kWh. According to EnerWhere, it can run for 8 to 10 hours on 100% renewable energy. "The hybrid system is currently operating at 50 per cent renewable energy penetration for 24 hours and is expected to increase over time," the spokesman said. The mobile unit also incorporates an energy management system, Enlite Microgrid Control. It relies on historical databases, operational data and machine learning to predict load profiles and optimize on-site generation assets. The spokesperson said: “We are a temporary electricity provider that sells energy on a kWh basis, but do not sell these units. There are no capital expenditure requirements for the client. The solution is also adaptable to different needs and scalable for megawatt-scale projects.” Enerwhere recently launched a business model suitable for construction site solar projects. This approach is based on short-term power purchase agreements that allow mobile PV installations to be moved from one construction site to another.

• June 29, 2022

[Shanghai, China] On June 28, Huawei Smart Photovoltaics was awarded the statement of opinion on product carbon footprint verification issued by BSI (British Standards Institution, hereinafter referred to as BSI). This is the world's first inverter product carbon footprint issued by BSI. Footprint Statement. As the source of international standards, BSI is a special advisor to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the institution that issued the world's first carbon footprint standard, PAS 2050, with leading authority. The award of this carbon footprint verification statement is an affirmation of Huawei's ability to evaluate the carbon footprint report of the product's full life cycle, and it is also the result of Huawei's efforts in three aspects: reducing carbon emissions, increasing the proportion of renewable energy, and promoting a circular economy. Huawei's "green, low-carbon, and sustainable" development concept runs through the entire life cycle of inverter products. It has been recognized by the authoritative organization BSI, and is of great significance to the establishment and development of the photovoltaic industry's carbon footprint management system. With the proposal of the "3060" dual-carbon goal, the photovoltaic industry, the main force of renewable energy, has ushered in explosive growth. Although photovoltaic power generation is recognized as an important way to reduce carbon emissions, it does not mean that photovoltaic solar products are all low-carbon. to zero carbon emissions. Therefore, the carbon footprint is crucial to the decarbonization of the energy system, and it is especially critical to understand and manage the carbon footprint and carbon emission impact of the manufacturing process of each component of the photovoltaic system. In Europe and other countries and regions, carbon footprint is a must for equipment bidding. Only advanced green manufacturing enterprises with authoritative carbon footprint certification can truly help customers develop low-carbon and high-quality photovoltaic projects. Looking forward to the future, Huawei will continue to strengthen low-carbon capacity building, use innovative technologies to develop more eco-friendly footprint products, accelerate carbon emission reductions for itself and its customers, and work together towards a greener and better future with sustainable development goals.

• June 21, 2022

Spain's Extremadura Regional High Court has ruled that Spain's largest operable PV plant - the 500 MW Nuñez de Balboa PV plant in Usagre, near Badajoz - occupies illegally expropriated land. The owner of the solar park - Spanish energy giant Iberdrola - must now dismantle 60% of the plant. The owner of the property is Natura Manager, who owns 525 hectares of the 854 hectares occupied by the entire solar park. The court said: "The ruling shows that the land cannot be expropriated because it has been leased for 25 years. The expropriation request does not justify deprivation of property rights. The court also added that the company always had the statutory right to build the power station without expropriation of the land. "Nevertheless, all of its actions depend on a willingness to initiate an expropriation procedure without justification," the court ruled, while also acknowledging the right to "restore the farm to a state without photovoltaic power plants (including all facilities)." Iberdrola will appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court. The dispute is said to involve only one of the three owners of the project site. The company said: “Approximately 50% of the land is owned by two tenants who made no claims throughout, and maintained and responded to the contracts signed by the three owners at the time. The expropriation process … followed legal procedures and respected everything. existing rights and guarantees.” Iberdrola said the plant was built under valid, legal title and should not be demolished. "The plant has obtained all energy production licenses and will continue to operate as normal," the company said.

• June 13, 2022

Slovakian startup Sun powered systems, s.r.o. has developed an automated photovoltaic system that can be used for various applications in arable land and crop cultivation. The photovoltaic device can provide off-grid power for the owner, assist in vegetable processing, prepare ready-to-use vegetable products or carry out product packaging. Connected to a moveable device beneath the solar panels, the system is capable of linear motion combined with the synchronized circular motion of the robotic arm itself, operating in a helical 60- or 30-centimeter width. The rotating arm is driven by a motor powered by photovoltaic panels fixed to the arm, the system does not require connection to the grid or any other external power source. The system uses an AC asynchronous motor with a speed of 1500 rpm and an operating power of 750 W. It can be equipped with commercial small solar modules, as well as LiFePo cells and frequency regulators. There are several versions of this system. The minimum configuration version of the robotic arm is 6 meters long and has an output of 1kW. It is reported that it can cover an area of 104 square meters of arable land. The highest configuration version of the robot arm is 18 meters long and has an output power of 2.4 kW, which can cover an area of 994 square meters of arable land. The system is capable of clearing weeds within a given line in one cycle, which is the number of revolutions the entire robotic arm must complete to turn around the axis of rotation from one end of the drive to the other. The system is easy to install, the farm operator can install the system using only soil screws, and it is very convenient to change the machine when needed. This system is suitable for all individuals, small communities and businesses who want fresh and healthy vegetables.

• June 10, 2022

Maruti Suzuki India has built a 20 MW solar carport at its factory in Manesar, Haryana. The project is expected to contribute 28,000 MWh annually to the company's energy needs. The company claims that the electricity generated by the project will be equivalent to the energy needed to produce more than 67,000 cars per year. According to the company, it is the largest solar carport in Asia. The solar carport system adopts the east-west concept design, and the unit power generation area is the smallest. With the east-west concept, developers can add more rows and panels, providing greater power generation capacity on a minimal land area. The facility accommodates approximately 9,000 of the company's finished vehicles. With the addition of 20 MW of new capacity, the company's cumulative solar capacity across its plants now stands at 26.3 MW, including the 1.3 MW solar plant installed in 2014. Demand for solar energy has increased substantially in the commercial and industrial sectors to meet their energy needs with cheaper tariffs and at the same time achieve their sustainable development goals.

• June 07, 2022

Servotech Power Systems, a manufacturer of solar and energy saving products, has installed India's first portable solar roof system at the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple complex in Gandhinagar. The installation of ten portable roof solar mounting systems was supported by the German development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Called Servport, the plug-and-play PV system features six 400W modules with a total output of 2.4 kW. The portable rooftop solar system will complement the existing 400 kW solar system installed at Akshardham Temple. The system has been installed under the initiative of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to develop renewable energy cities in India.

• May 23, 2022

IKEA and SunPower have agreed to launch a new partnership in California in the fall. IKEA has partnered with SunPower to offer home solar solutions in select markets in California starting in the fall, and IKEA members will be able to buy residential solar and battery storage systems in-store. The partnership combines IKEA's strengths in retail and home living with SunPower's more than 35 years of experience in the solar industry. With a 25-year warranty and covering everything from panels to brackets to monitoring hardware, the SunPower system has the highest DC power output protection in the solar industry, claiming to still have 92% DC power at year 25. SunPower's energy storage product, called SunVault, provides backup power and performs other services such as peak demand response, with 6.8 kW of continuous power, 13 kWh/26 kWh of rated energy capacity, and a 10-year warranty. Measures 26 x 63 x 15 inches for indoor or outdoor use. "IKEA is passionate about helping our customers live more sustainable lives at home. We are proud to partner with SunPower to bring this service to the US, enabling customers to make personal choices aimed at reducing their overall climate footprint, CEO and Chief Sustainability Officer Javier Quinones said, noting that the goal is to expand the service beyond select California retail locations in the future. The company's sustainability measures also extend beyond residential solar partnerships, including becoming a "climate positive business" by 2030. Its portfolio includes multiple utility-scale solar, wind and geothermal systems, and 90% of retail locations have solar arrays. The company also has a buyback and resale program that gives IKEA members the opportunity to sell back lightly used IKEA furniture and redeem points. Instead of going to landfill, the furniture can be reused and sold at low prices in the store's specials handling section.