• October 19, 2023

The Bangladesh government requires new residential, educational, medical, industrial and commercial buildings to be installed with net-metered solar systems as a prerequisite for connection to the grid. As a result, the country's rooftop photovoltaic power generation will increase significantly. Under the new regulations, buildings with a roof area exceeding 92.2 square meters must install a net-metered solar system. Homeowners wishing to achieve single-phase grid connection must install a net metered solar system with a minimum capacity of 1 kW, while those requiring three-phase grid connection must meet the 3 kW capacity requirement. The rules also apply to schools, hospitals and charities with a roof area of at least 1,000 square feet. The new regulations also require that industrial and commercial customers with a grid-connected capacity of less than 80 kilowatts must install rooftop photovoltaic systems equivalent to 15% of their total load. Customers with grid-connected capacity between 80 and 500 kW must install PV systems at 12% of their load capacity, while customers with load capacity above 500 kW must install rooftop arrays at 10% of their load capacity. Existing buildings wishing to increase their grid load capacity must also comply with the same regulations by installing additional rooftop solar systems.

• October 16, 2023

The European Council announced policies on October 12 for sectors such as transport, industry and construction, which have made slow progress in achieving the recently established target of reaching 45% renewable energy by 2030. The European Council in Brussels announced that it has adopted a series of measures under the Renewable Energy Directive (part of the legislation in June this year) that requires all EU member states to achieve a renewable energy share of 45% in the EU by the end of this decade. % of the common goal. According to a European Council press announcement, the new rules target sectors with “slower” integration of renewable energy, including transport, industry and construction. Some industry regulations include mandatory requirements, while others include optional options. The press announcement states that for the transport sector, member states can choose between a binding target of 14.5% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity from renewable energy consumption by 2030 or a minimum share of renewable energy in final energy consumption by 2030. Accounting for a binding proportion of 29%. For industry, member states' renewable energy consumption will increase by 1.5% per year, with the contribution of renewable fuels from non-biological sources (RFNBO) "likely" to decrease by 20%. To achieve this target, member states' contributions to the EU's binding overall targets need to meet expectations, or the proportion of fossil fuel hydrogen consumed by member states does not exceed 23% in 2030 and 20% in 2035. New regulations for buildings, heating and cooling set out an "indicative target" of at least 49% renewable energy consumption in the building sector by the end of the decade. The news announcement states that renewable energy consumption for heating and cooling will "increase gradually." The approval process for renewable energy projects will also be accelerated, and specific deployments of "accelerated approval" will be implemented to help achieve the goals. Member states will identify areas worthy of acceleration, and renewable energy projects will undergo a "simplified" and "fast-track licensing" process. Renewable energy projects will also be presumed to be of "overriding public interest", which will "limit the grounds for legal objection to new projects". The directive also strengthens sustainability standards regarding the use of biomass energy, while working to reduce the risk of “unsustainable” bioenergy production. "Member states will ensure that the cascading principle is applied, focusing on support programs and taking due account of the specific national circumstances of each country," the press announcement stated.

• October 11, 2023

A set of power purchase agreements (PPAs) announced in Southeast Asia marks the region's further move into solar power generation. Kuala Lumpur-based major independent power producer (IPP) Malakoff has signed a memorandum of understanding with MMC Group to provide MMC with 500 MW of solar power generation capacity. Malakoff will be responsible for project development, installation, operations and maintenance, while MMC Ports will be the end user. The signing of this agreement is in line with Malaysia’s growing focus on renewable energy technologies, as evidenced by initiatives such as its large-scale solar (LSS) procurement programme. In the Philippines, San Juan City-based renewable energy company Citicore signed a one-year power purchase agreement with Clark Electric Distribution Company (CEDC). Under the power purchase agreement, Citicore's two power plants in Tarlac, central Luzon, will provide the utility with 7.5 MW of electricity, with a combined generating capacity of 15 MW. The agreement is expected to be extended to 10 years after Citicore's 60 MW Bato solar power plant in Zambales province comes online. Citicore plans to aggressively expand its solar business, with plans to develop four more projects in Luzon. To support the company's expansion, Citicore secured a $100 million loan from Singapore-based debt financing firm Pentagreen Capital, part of which will be used to build solar power plants in the country's northern province of Batangas. According to a 2022 report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the Philippines aims to achieve 15 GW of clean energy installed capacity by 2030, with a focus on mini-grids and independent clean power systems due to the country's archipelagic nature.

• October 07, 2023

TSE built a 2.9 MW agrivoltaic power plant in northern France equipped with sensors that trigger irrigation systems. The irrigation facility is reported to result in significant water savings. French agrivoltaic specialist TSE has built a 2.9 MW agrivoltaic power plant equipped with an irrigation system aimed at improving water management for a wide range of crops. The system is deployed in the city of Hauts-de-France Bruchy, covering an area of more than 3 hectares, and is expected to save nearly 30% of water. Sensors placed above the canopy enable the system to optimize irrigation by watering on demand and delivering the right amount of water. The system is equipped with trackers that rotate solar panels located at a height of 5 meters from east to west. According to TSE, the device creates localized and rotating shade areas on crop plots throughout the day, effectively mitigating temperature stress and water stress. The local agricultural chamber will also assess the impact of agrivoltaic installations and their irrigation systems on water resources. For non-irrigated crops, trials focus on the shading effect created by the agricultural canopy, addressing water stress and reducing transpiration. For irrigated crops, the trial will explore the potential for irrigation savings driven by photovoltaic systems and smart irrigation. The photovoltaic power plant operates under a 20-year PPA and supplies power to several local factories.

• September 25, 2023

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) has signed a project development agreement with the Lao government to establish a renewable energy center in northern Laos. The center will cover wind, solar, hydro and energy storage capabilities. Its energy output will be integrated into existing transmission lines carrying power from Laos to China's Yunnan Province, as well as a planned 500kV transmission line connecting the two regions. The agreement builds on the memorandum of understanding signed between CGN and the Lao government in October 2022, further deepening Laos’ commitment to export electricity to China as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.

• September 21, 2023

Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), revealed that India currently has 28 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity and 6 GW of battery capacity. The Indian government has launched the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) program and other policy measures to comprehensively promote the construction of a solar manufacturing ecosystem. The PLI plan will support the addition of more than 48 GW of photovoltaic manufacturing capacity and cover different integration areas such as polysilicon to modules, ingot-wafer to modules, and cells + modules. Currently, India has an annual solar photovoltaic module manufacturing capacity of 28 GW and a battery capacity of 6 GW. Bhalla said that many companies will continue to significantly increase production capacity on the basis of reaching the allocated capacity [PLI plan]. India aims to integrate 500 GW of non-fossil fuel power generation by 2030, including about 300 GW of solar power capacity. As of August 31, 2023, the country's installed solar capacity was 71.6 GW. Therefore, to achieve the 2030 target, India needs to add 30 to 40 GW of new solar power capacity every year.

• September 14, 2023

The Clean Energy Association (CEA) highlighted significant growth in solar module manufacturing by Chinese solar module manufacturers in its recently released second quarter PV supplier market intelligence report. Manufacturing capacity reached 405 GW in 2022 and is expected to grow by 114% to reach 866 GW by the end of 2023. This will be followed by a 21% surge in capacity in 2024, taking total global capacity to an impressive 1.043 terawatts. The terawatt era has arrived, but the world was caught off guard. As the industry explodes in size, solar and related professionals must prepare, adapt and deploy.

• September 11, 2023

Uniper announced plans to build two solar mounting system with a combined capacity of 317 MW near its energy conversion hub in Lower Saxony, Germany. Hydrogen production plant supplies power. The German energy company also revealed that the produced hydrogen will be stored in dedicated caves at the same site. “The project received development decision approval from the City of Elsfleth on August 18, 2023, officially marking the start of the city’s land use planning process,” the company said of the largest project proposed to be built in Elsfleth. “The necessary legal framework will be established for the project through the development of a development plan and amendments to the site plan.” Uniper said the 17 MW project will be built on the ash storage site of the coal-fired power station in Wilhelmshaven. It is expected to be integrated into the existing local grid infrastructure.

• September 07, 2023

The US and Indian governments have jointly launched a renewable energy Technology Action platform with an initial focus on green hydrogen, wind power, long-term energy storage and geothermal exploration. The US Department of Energy (DoE) and India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) have jointly launched the US-India Renewable Energy Technology Action Platform (RETAP) under the Strategic Clean Energy Partnership. U.S. President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced RETAP during their meeting on June 22, a move that highlights growing cooperation on emerging technologies to accelerate the clean energy transition. RETAP was established to strengthen bilateral cooperation with an emphasis on technology-driven and time-bound outcomes, with the main objective of facilitating the deployment and diffusion of emerging renewable energy technologies. RETAP will initially focus on green clean hydrogen, wind, long-term energy storage, as well as exploring geothermal energy, ocean/tidal energy and other emerging technologies to be jointly identified in the future. DoE and MNRE have developed an initial work plan for the RETAP collaboration, guided by five themes: research and development; pilot and testing of innovative technologies; advanced training and skills development; policy and planning for renewable energy technologies and enabling technologies; and investment, incubation, and outreach programs.