When I was writing just Renewable Friday Diaries once a week, I couldn't keep up with the news from PV Magazine and Power and many other sources. Now I can pick out a few choice items from time to time, and here is my first such selection.
Wind
Subsidy-Free Onshore Wind Farm Will Host First Siemens Gamesa 5-MW Turbines
Three first-of-their-kind Siemens Gamesa 5-MW wind turbines will be installed on the island of Thyholm in Denmark at a project that will be operated without subsidies.
The company announced on Dec. 19 it has entered into a contract withTorp Vind I/S for the delivery of three SG 5.0-132 models for the 15-MW Torp Vindmoellepark wind farm in the Danish municipality of Struer. The turbines will replace three old Bonus wind turbines, each which have a capacity of 1 MW, that were installed in 1999.
Siemens Gamesa has been developing the SG 5.0-132 for some time as an offering for medium-wind markets. The SG 5.0-132 geared turbine features a rotor diameter of 132 meters (m), and it is equipped with OptimaFlex, a technology that tailors solutions to customer’s specific site needs. “Optimized site design combined with a customizable product platform, based on flexible power rating, site specific towers and optimized [balance of plant] solutions, allow Siemens Gamesa to deliver reduced [levelized cost of electricity] by increasing [annual electric production] while optimizing cost,” it said.
As part of the 5.X platform, the company is also developing a 145-m version (SG 5.0-145), as well as a 155-m and 170-m version (SG 5.8), which will rate at 5.8 MW.
Torp Vind I/S, which is owned by local farmers, plans to begin installation of the turbines in late summer 2020. “Besides delivery and installation of the wind turbines, Siemens Gamesa has also sold a long-term service contract and will take on service and maintenance of the wind farm for the next 25 years,” the company said in a statement.
Jiuquan Wind Power Base is the world’s biggest wind farm, with a planned installed capacity of 20GW. Also known as Gansu Wind Farm, it will feature 7,000 wind turbines installed across the Jiuquan, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Xinjiang, Jiangsu and Shandong provinces of Gansu, China.
The 1,600MW Jaisalmer wind park is India's biggest wind farm. Developed by Suzlon Energy, the project features a group of wind farms located in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, India.
Solar
Utility scale solar power as cheap as 70¢ per watt and still falling
New app helps charge Tesla EVs when electricity is greener and cheaper
By Catherine Rollet on Dec 18 2019, 4:20pm
Clik here to view.
With its app already present in Belgium and the Netherlands, start-up Jedlix is introducing smart charging in France. The solution enables Tesla drivers to optimize their charging strategy.
China’s stagnation is the world’s opportunity
On Oct. 29, China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) released cumulative connection data for the first nine months of 2019, when China installed just under 16 GW. This breaks down as 52% distributed generation projects and 48% ground-mount installations. The figure represents a decrease of 54% for the first three quarters compared to 2018.
Is China’s Tax Policy Hindering the Solarization of its Digital Economy?
Yes, along with other perverse incentives to continue building coal-fired plants at home and abroad.
Perú usará la fotovoltaica para la electrificación rural
Peru will use PV for rural electrification.
El ministro de Energía y Minas ratificó el compromiso del Gobierno de llevar el servicio eléctrico al 100% de las zonas rurales para el 2023.
100% rural electric service by 2023. I have friends working on the One Laptop Per Child initiative in Peru. It requires electricity in every school. Teachers once saddled with wholly inadequate textbooks say
I can teach now.
El Salvador busca cooperación con ISA para proyectos solares
Solar projects in El Salvador, including a 100 MW installation.
Winners and prices of Tunisia’s 500 MW PV tender
The lowest bid came in at $0.025/kWh.
Flood-related blackouts strengthen case for new REIPPPP round in South Africa
The nation has been plagued by extensive power outages again with debt-riddled utility Eskom blaming heavy summer floods for taking out extensive parts of its coal-fired power generation fleet.
If the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) had acted more swiftly to process applications for small scale solar power systems, the blackouts suffered last week would not have been as severe, according to one analyst.
“Recent load-shedding events would have been less severe if [the] government moved quickly to implement its own plans to meet [the] short-term energy gap with distributed generation,” Ahlfeldt told pv magazine. “The IRP 2019 acknowledges this is the quickest and cheapest way for the country to get more capacity on the grid and gives NERSA the mandate to approve license applications for projects under 10 MW in size to meet this gap.”
The analyst added, he suspected the explanation given by the utility that flooding was at the root of the problem was not the entire story. “Eskom has not been fully transparent as to the cause and location of its supply problems but indicated that a technical problem at its newest and over-budget coal plant, Medupi, lead to stage 6 load-shedding on Monday,” said Ahlfeldt, referring to an emergency grid measure which involved cutting different 6 GW loads from the network 18 times for four hours at a time over four-day periods or for two-hour windows over eight days.
Connecticut Gives Go-Ahead for 804-MW Offshore Wind Project
Vineyard Wind’s 804-MW Park City project was given the go-ahead by Connecticut officials on Dec. 5, with regulators saying Vineyard’s bid in an offshore wind solicitation was “lower than any other publicly announced offshore wind project in North America.”
Vineyard Wind competed against other groups in the bidding, including developers backed by Ørsted and Shell. The company now will negotiate contracts with the state’s two major utilities, Eversource and United Illuminating Co.
The Park City development is considered the largest renewable energy project in Connecticut history. State officials said it could provide about 14% of the state’s electricity. The project’s turbines would be located south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, and would not be visible from Connecticut’s shoreline.
547 Energy in Partnership with ENORA S.A. Secures 135 MW of Wind Energy Projects in Greece
547 Energy, LLC (547 Energy), the clean energy platform of Quantum Energy Partners, today announced that its affiliate, 547 Energy International European Holdings, LLC, has, in partnership with ENORA S.A. (ENORA), been awarded by the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) in Greece four 20-year power purchase agreements for 135 megawatts (MW) of wind energy projects located in the Region of Central Macedonia.
“This is an exciting milestone for 547 Energy as it marks our entrance into the European market. We are very pleased to partner with ENORA, a leader in renewable energy development in Greece, to bring these commercially viable wind projects forward,” said Gabriel Alonso, CEO & President of 547 Energy. Adding, “At 547 Energy, we want to work with innovative companies, such as ENORA, around the globe that focus on clean power generation, energy efficiency or the digitalization of the energy sector and look forward to growing our portfolio in the coming months.”
ENORA is a subsidiary of ENTEKA S.A., which was established in 1984 and is one of the leading Greek companies in the renewable energy sector in Greece.
Hydrogen
Remember this, as in the image up top today? Now we can talk about how to fuel it on the road.
Cummins Engine Company of Columbus, Indiana (Mike Pence's hometown) has brought out a pure electric semi product for integration into truck products by other companies, and is now adding a hydrogen fuel cell truck. Cummins makes engines for trucks, ships, trains and more in a variety of technologies, including diesel, natural gas, pure electric, and now hydrogen fuel cells. It began more than a century ago with diesel engines, and has been a world leader in diesel technology. Although diesel will be around for decades to come, Cummins is preparing to convert to whatever technologies the market demands.
The Danish government has agreed to provide $19 million in funds for two large-scale hydrogen projects under development on the Jutland peninsula. The two projects will produce green hydrogen for the transport sector from renewables sources. Denmark’s largest energy company, Ørsted, has also announced plans for an ambitious 2 MW electrolysis plant with appurtenant hydrogen storage.
‘Breakthrough Technology’ Uses Sunlight to Produce Renewable Hydrogen
HyperSolar Inc. said it has demonstrated a working version of a “large-scale hydrogen unit device” that it expects will lead to the production of full-sized panels for a first-generation (GEN 1) pilot plant. The company said its “breakthrough technology” uses sunlight in a “low-cost photoelectrochemical process” to separate hydrogen from water, producing “clean and environmentally friendly renewable hydrogen.”
Renewable Natural Gas, aka Biomethane
Yes, RNG is real, and nominally carbon neutral. There isn't enough of it to replace fracked gas, but it has a niche in transportation where electric vehicles aren't ready to take over.
More than $200 million strategic partnership will capture methane from U.S. dairy farms and convert it into clean, renewable energy for U.S. consumers
- Strategic partnership will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. dairy farms, equivalent to taking nearly 100,000 cars off the road or planting 7.5 million new trees each year
- Companies expand strategic alliance with Dairy Farmers of America to promote greenhouse gas reduction and improve economic viability of family-owned dairy farms
- Strategic partnership builds on Dominion Energy’s leading hog waste-to-energy partnership with Smithfield Foods and Vanguard Renewables’ leadership in dairy and food waste-to-energy projects
Conferences
NEW Insight @ Intersolar North America 2020
Join us on February 5, at Intersolar North America for our panel session, Leveling UP solar PV: Becoming a more responsible environmental citizen. Developed and moderated by pvmagazine, this session will help you and your company understand some of the lifecycle impacts of solar and electronics and let you assess your environmental standing while providing resources and metrics in order to do a better job. For more information click here.
#Renewable Energy Conferences in United States
Top 100 Renewable Energy Events, Trade Fairs, Conferences
100 popular Renewable Energy events, trade fairs, trade shows & conferences you should exhibit and participate at. Curated global ranking index
We have chosen 50 of the top energy conferences to be held in the United States, Canada, and abroad, in 2020 to help you select those that best fit your interests. Our top conference picks feature innovative programs, leading organizations, and solutions for meeting increasing demands and safety concerns. Please note, we have listed our top 50 energy conferences of 2020 in chronological order so you can quickly choose those that best fit your calendar.
Renewable Energy Markets is an annual conference for the clean energy industry.
The International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC), one of the main events co-hosted by REN21 will take place the 23 – 25 of October
Renewable Energy Conferences 2019/2020/2021 is for the researchers, scientists, scholars, engineers, academic, scientific and university practitioners
Energy Industry Conferences and Events - Greentech MediaGreen Energy Conferences and Renewable Energy conferences will gather all the energy professionals at Edinburgh, Scotland.
The latest events, trade shows, conferences, and meetups in the energy and utility world. Follow Greentech Media to find the next upcoming event near you.