News & Articles on Solar Energy
While I have primarily worked with wind energy, I have long been a proponent of renewable energy in the broadest sense. This includes solar energy. My work in Canada, especially Ontario, stressed inclusion of solar energy because it had been previously overlooked. At one time Ontario was one of the leading jurisdictions in North America developing solar photovoltaics due in part to the programs I and others pushed. The political winds changed and these policies were abandoned and with it Ontario’s progress toward a renewable energy future.
Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program is the Best
By
John Farrell and Maria Mccoy
Minnesota’s community solar program grew to 822 megawatts of operational capacity in November 2021. The chart above shows the progress of projects through the program since August 2015, and the nearly two-year lag between the program launch in December 2014 and the successful ignition of multiple megawatts of capacity in January 2017. Note: the megawatt sum of projects in the application stage reported by Xcel Energy is a minimum, hence the plus symbol.
Luxembourg’s first floating PV plant is now operational
By
Emiliano Bellini
The facility was deployed with 25,000 solar modules on a former cooling pond owned by the steel manufacturer’s unit ArcelorMittal Differdange, which operates an electric steel plant in the homonymous municipality in Luxembourg.
Let the Sun Shine: Making Solar Power Work
By
John K. White
The German FIT model was so successful that the government buyback decreased from a high of €0.58/kWh in 2004 to €0.12/kWh in 2017 for small PV roof systems and less than €0.10/kWh for ground-mounted and large roof systems.
High PV system prices, falling FITs make small solar unviable in Germany
By
Petra Hannen
Anyone in Germany who wants to put a small-scale PV system into operation in November 2021 must expect electricity generation costs of €0.1152 ($0.13)/kWh and a feed-in tariff (FIT) of €0.0703/kWh.
France announces 10 measures to support PV deployment
By
Gwénaëlle Deboutte
France has announced a new 10-measure plan to facilitate solar deployment, featuring new and existing provisions. It is designed to support the installation of more than 3 GW per year throughout the country by the end of 2025.
UK solar rooftop deployment to exceed 500MW in 2022
By
Solar PV deployment on rooftops in the UK is forecast to exceed 500MWdc in 2022, representing a landmark moment for the UK solar industry.
Solar Rebate Vs. Feed-In Tariff: Explainer
By
Michael Bloch
Confusing Australia’s national solar rebate with feed-in tariffs is still pretty common – this explainer clarifies the differences between the two incentives and what they are worth.
More details on France’s new FIT for PV projects up to 500 kW
By
Gwénaëlle Deboutte
The provisions for a fixed feed-in tariff (FIT) for all PV systems up to 500 kW in size have finally been published in France’s Official Journal – after an agonizing two year wait. pv magazine France provides the low down on tariffs, caps, carbon criteria, and integration.
2021/28 “Vietnam’s Solar Power Boom: Policy Implications for Other ASEAN Member States”
By
Thang Nam Do and Paul J. Burke
Vietnam has recently seen a remarkable solar photovoltaic (PV) boom, the first stage of a major and rapid energy transition in the country. The country’s solar PV capacity increased from only 86 MW in 2018 to 4,750 MW in 2019.
Partial shading by solar panels delays bloom, increases floral abundance during the late-season for pollinators in a dryland, agrivoltaic ecosystem
By
Here we investigated the effects of solar arrays on plant composition, bloom timing and foraging behavior of pollinators from June to September (after peak bloom) in full shade plots and partial shade plots under solar panels as well as in full sun plots (controls) outside of the solar panels. We found that floral abundance increased and bloom timing was delayed in the partial shade plots, which has the potential to benefit late-season foragers in water-limited ecosystems.
