• May 17, 2022

The world will add more than 300 GW of new renewable energy capacity this year for the first time, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The agency said 295 GW of new capacity additions for solar, wind and other renewable power generation will be added in 2021. The new capacity in 2022 will reach nearly 320 GW, an increase of more than 8%, a new high. China, Latin America and the European Union will take the lead. It is bound to drive the addition of its subsidiary industries, such as the solar panel bracket industry.

• May 13, 2022

China plans to build enough solar farms on its eastern seaboard to power New Zealand. Shandong province, an industrial hub south of Beijing, issued a tender on Thursday to build 10 offshore solar power plants by 2025 in the waters surrounding China's largest peninsula. The planned installed capacity of 11.25 GW exceeds New Zealand's peak consumption. The province already has the most rooftop solar installations in China and has said it will eventually build 42 gigawatts of solar and 35 gigawatts of wind in its offshore areas. China is targeting 1,200 gigawatts of wind and solar by 2030, nearly double 2020 levels, and plans by utility giants and provincial governments suggest it could be achieved years ahead of schedule. The solar power project in Shandong, which is due to start construction this year, will be located in shallow water close to the coast. They will be anchored to fixed foundations on the seabed, unlike floating solar panels that have long been a feature of the industry. These are usually located in reservoirs or lakes, away from the waves and salt slag of the ocean.

• May 09, 2022

On Earth Day, LONGi Green Energy Technology joined hands with the government to launch the first tailor-made subway train in the solar energy industry in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, northwest China. LONGi's philosophy behind this sponsorship train is to commemorate Earth Day, established 53 years ago with a mission to raise global awareness of environmental protection and low-carbon lifestyles. The train as a mobile medium showcases the company's and the country's ambitious renewable energy development goals - and a mobile classroom that educates passengers of all ages and backgrounds about renewable energy and the energy transition. The painting inside the train car also shows the future scenario of widespread use of sustainable and renewable energy in urban and rural China.

• May 05, 2022

Ademe, the French environment and energy control agency, has issued a new set of guidelines that clearly defines "agricultural photovoltaics". Ademe defines agri-PV as follows: “Agri-PV installation is a photovoltaic system in which photovoltaic modules are placed on the same surface as agricultural production and bring to the latter climate change adaptation, extreme weather disaster preparedness, improved animal welfare, and specific cultural agronomic services without causing significant reductions in agricultural yields in terms of quality and quantity and reducing the income generated by agricultural activities.” Agricultural photovoltaic power generation projects always mean the existence of farmers. Such devices must be reversible, adapted to the environment without harming the environment, and should also be able to adapt to new situations. Ademe said: “A more precise definition of agricultural photovoltaics has been proposed, which is based on the concept of synergy between agricultural production and photovoltaic power generation on the same plot. Photovoltaic installations must provide services to address agricultural problems. For example, A PV system can include PV modules located above plant products to protect plants from excessive sunlight, exert shading effects to limit water stress, or reduce risks associated with climatic conditions such as hail or frost. While generating energy, it can also provide beneficial services for agricultural production on-site with certain configurations." In June 2021, French solar companies Sun'Agri, REM Tec, Kilowattsol and Altergie Développement et Râcines announced the establishment of the world's first agricultural photovoltaics Trade agency France Agrivoltaisme.

• April 26, 2022

According to Disneyland Paris, one-third of its 17MW solar carport parking lots project has been put into use and will generate 10 GWh per year. Built by French developer Urbasolar, construction will begin in autumn 2020, with full final completion scheduled for 2023. When completed, it is expected to produce 31 GWh of electricity annually and cover 20 hectares of car park visitors with 11,200 parking spaces. Technically, the solar panel PV project could produce enough renewable energy to supply approximately 17% of Disneyland Paris' current electricity consumption, or the annual solar energy consumption of a city of 17,400 inhabitants. Some of the installations will light up at night, with the shape of Mickey Mouse's head visible from above.

• April 22, 2022

Nextracker has been selected to provide smart solar trackers and TrueCapture™ technology for the first phase of the 450 MW Sudair solar PV plant, the largest solar plant currently under construction in Saudi Arabia. When complete, it will provide solar energy to meet the needs of 185,000 homes and reduce the country's carbon emissions by 2.9 tons per year. The solar power plant was developed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) through its subsidiaries Badeel/WEHC, Saudi Aramco and ACWA Power. The consortium partners have entrusted the engineering, procurement and construction contract to the renewable energy division of global construction giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Nextracker is the global market leader in yield-enhancing photovoltaic system technology and solar trackers, recognized for maximum energy production and efficiency, and recognized by independent engineers and independent certification companies. The company's bifacial optimized tracker solution and TrueCapture technology will help increase the power output of the Sudair solar PV plant. Prior to this project, Nextracker already had strong ties to the Saudi Arabian economy. The company works with local Saudi steel manufacturing partners to install domestic solar projects as well as steel exports to support the development of global solar projects. In 2021, Nextracker exported more than 20,000 tons of Saudi steel worth more than $30 million to help support the company's installation of solar trackers in many countries. Nextracker is also using a local Saudi steelmaker to supply all the steel to support the installation of Nextracker solar trackers and technology at the 405 MW Sakaka solar power plant in Al Jouf, which requires 14,000 tonnes of steel. The Sudair solar PV plant is being developed under Saudi Arabia's National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), with a target of 58.7GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. Installation of the Nextracker solar tracker and technology is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022.

• April 19, 2022

The Council of the European Union has adopted a new directive that allows member states to reduce the value added tax (VAT) on certain products and services that comply with EU environmental and health policies. This Directive 2022/542 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 5 April. According to the new regulations, member states will be free to choose a value-added tax rate of 0%-5%. Household solar panels system, as well as pharmaceuticals, contraceptive and hygiene protection products, medical protection products, transportation and passenger services, books, newspapers and print publications and digital media will benefit from this tax relief.

• April 12, 2022

South Africa’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has launched the sixth round of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) to purchase 1 GW of PV and 1.6 GW of wind capacity. In the sixth round of REIPPPP, the authorities want to allocate 1 GW of utility-scale solar and 1.6 GW of wind to developers. Interested companies have until April 12 to download the relevant documents to participate in the auction. The procurement campaign is part of a tender programme for nearly 12 GW of capacity and follows South Africa's latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). The IRP aims to achieve up to 6 GW of new large-scale solar generation, and up to 6 GW of distributed photovoltaic capacity by 2030. Chris Ahlfeldt of Blue Horizon Energy Consulting Services told pv magazine that as South Africa continues to grapple with load shedding, a post-COVID-19 economic recovery and a just transition to coal to meet climate reduction targets, it needs to quickly complete the procurement and procurement of these projects. Grid work. “Transmission capacity constraints in the Northern Cape in Round 5 make it difficult for some developers to do so, so most developers will likely target other provinces in Round 6, potentially extending local socio-economic impacts across the country other areas." South African authorities launched the fifth round of the REIPPPP scheme in March 2021, with a total of 2.6 GW of renewable energy generation allocated across 25 projects ranging in size from 75 MW to 140 MW. In this round, the lowest bid price for a 124 MW wind power facility to be built in Hantan, Northern Cape, was ZAR 0.34425 (US$ 0.02338). For solar power, the lowest bid for six 75 MW solar parks expected to be built in the Tokologo district in the Lejweleputswa region of the Free State province is ZAR 0.37479.

• April 07, 2022

Japanese natural gas company Saibu Gas Holdings Co Ltd (TYO:9536) recently announced that its renewable energy arm, Eneseed Co Ltd, started commercial operations at a 1.6 MW solar power plant in Iwate Prefecture. The photovoltaic (PV) park, called Eneseed Hirokawa Solar Power Plant, has been acquired from local company Clean Venture 21 Corp and will begin operations on April 2, 2022. With the commencement of commercial operation of Hirokawa Solar, Saibu Gas' total renewable energy operating capacity has reached 47.5 MW. The company is targeting 75 megawatts of renewable energy capacity by fiscal 2024 and plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.