How Australia is maximizing its solar energy resources with mid-scale solar installations？ It’s fair to say that Australia is embracing the potential of mid-scale solar installations with a slew of new and upcoming projects. The partnerships between major companies like Sustainable Energy Infrastructure and Yates Electrical Services Group (YES Group) are leading the charge in this new wave of sustainable energy projects. One such project that recently came to fruition is the Woods Point solar and battery storage farm, located near Murray Bridge in South Australia. This combined solar and battery project, generating a hearty 5MW, is a testament to the progress made in the mid-scale solar sector. It features 9,000 bifacial solar panels and a 2.5MWh, two-hour battery storage system. The project stands as a milestone in South Australia’s energy transition, underlining the potential of storage solutions and regional distributed energy assets. Sydney-based MPower Group Ltd has also built several mid-scale solar projects across Australia. With 5MW solar farms such as Mannum Solar Farm Project, Pirie Solar Farm, SA, and Solar For Samoa already connected to the grid, plans are in place for the development of the Faraday scheme in the state of Victoria. The project will comprise 11,000 bifacial photovoltaic modules spanning over 100 km (62 miles), and will be situated northwest of Melbourne. Due to be constructed in 2023, the plant will produce more than 11,500 MWh of electricity annually, enough to power 1,500 homes. Nathan Wise, MPower CEO, said of the project in 2021, “MPower is actively building a pipeline of 5MW solar project sites and currently has exclusivity over six sites. We are looking to create an initial portfolio of up to 20 renewable energy assets with an aggregate capacity of 100MWac and an estimated value of more than $150 million once fully constructed.” The Woods Point project is just the jewel in the crown of YES Group and Sustainable Energy Infrastructure's impressive portfolio. The partnership boasts approval for 55MW across 11 different assets in New South Wales and South Australia. There are currently five projects in operation, three under construction, and three more in the design and procurement stage. The companies are focusing their efforts on the sub-5 MW mid-scale sector, offering a faster approval process and avoiding grid connection challenges faced by large-scale projects. YES Group, with over 120 solar farms under its belt, emphasizes the value of the swift and straightforward development process within the sub-5 MW market. Along with two additional projects in Port Wakefield and Padthaway, the Woods Point project will generate 27 GWh of solar energy and store 3 GWh of energy. An ambitious $200 million investment plan is in the works, aimed at developing between 70 MW and 100 MW of projects across eastern Australia in the coming years. Meanwhile, in a blend of sport and sustainability, a South Aust...

According to a research report published earlier this year, Europe has the potential to deploy 51TW (51,000GW) of agricultural photovoltaics. Considering the power generation and agricultural potential, the researchers found that if all possible land was utilized, 51TW of agricultural photovoltaic power capacity in Europe would be feasible, equivalent to 71,500TWh of electricity generation per year, 25 times the current electricity demand in Europe. Three agricultural PV configurations were considered in the study: single-facial fixed-tilt modules suspended from above, single-facial soalr panel single-axis solar panels with tracking mounts whose angles can be changed throughout the day, and bifacial modules erected like a fence. The 51TW is based on a test situation in a field in Denmark and then mathematically extrapolated to simulate the rest of continental Europe. The optimal capacity density of agricultural photovoltaics is about 30W per square meter, so that at least 80% of the land can be used to grow crops. Results were uneven across the continent, with penetration potential for agricultural PV varying from just 1% of available land in Norway to as high as 53% in Denmark. Solar irradiance is higher and energy production is greater at lower latitudes. Keeping electricity production and agricultural production on the same land is key to agricultural PV, an approach that has the potential to quell many of the concerns that the PV and agricultural industries face regarding available land, food and energy security, local community opposition, NIMBYism, and the broader climate crisis. Among component configurations, single-axis tracking seems the most promising, but also the most expensive. It was found that the single-axis tracking and vertical assembly provided the most consistent level of solar irradiance reaching the ground, and the tracking assembly also provided the highest power output. Fixed-tilt modules will produce obvious shadow streaks on the ground, which may affect crop yields, and at the same time cannot achieve stable power generation around the clock. The Dutch government has recently taken effective measures to ban the use of agricultural photovoltaic technology on Dutch farmland. This move has shocked representatives of the national solar energy industry. Farmers' protests against plans to scale back the agricultural photovoltaic industry continue. Agricultural photovoltaics can bring benefits to crop production and power generation, and many adopters hope to strike a balance between photosynthesis and photovoltaic power generation to effectively optimize land use. The most obvious and major issue is sharing the land itself, as it is more practical and economical to be able to produce both food and electricity in the same area. In addition, solar panels provide shade in dry climates, making irrigation and water retention easier, fostering a more vibrant ecosystem beneath the modules. Crops beneath or adjacent to photovoltaic m...

The government of Bhutan has started construction of the country's first large-scale ground-mounted solar power plant, the Sephu Solar Project, which has an installed capacity of 17.38MW. The Ministry of Energy of the Bhutanese government (under the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of Bhutan) will oversee work on the project, which will be completed by a joint venture between Bhutanese construction company M/S Rigsar and Indian engineering firm PES. The Bhutanese government plans to complete the project construction by the end of 2024. At that time, the power station will be handed over to the Bhutanese power company Druk Green Power for operation. According to the Bhutanese government, the project is being financed primarily by the Asian Development Bank, which has pledged grants and loans to cover the $11 million project cost. The Sephu power station will be the first large-scale ground-mounted solar project in Bhutan's solar industry, and Rubesa has only one 180kW power station in operation. The Sephu Power Station will be a central component of Bhutan's growing solar industry. The government of Bhutan plans to have installed solar capacity of 500MW by the end of 2025 and 1GW by the end of this century. Bhutan hopes to diversify its energy structure and reduce its dependence on imported electricity from India. Currently, biofuels and hydropower dominate Bhutan's energy mix. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Bhutan will have an installed electricity capacity of 2.3GW in 2021, 84% of which will come from renewable sources. Of this, 54 percent comes from bioenergy and 46 percent from hydropower, a reliance on hydropower that often leads to disruptions in Bhutan's energy grid. During winter, when energy demand is high, Bhutan's hydropower production capacity drops significantly. Bhutan's economic affairs minister, Loknath Sharma, said in a speech in February this year that Bhutan's grid can generate about 2.3GW of electricity in the "remaining period of time", but in winter, as temperatures drop and rivers freeze, power output drops to 500MW. . Bhutan's energy demand in winter is as high as 670MW, and by 2030, Bhutan's energy demand will reach 1.5GW. During the most recent winter, Bhutan imported about $9.7 million (Nur 800 million) in electricity from India. It is important for the Bhutanese government to ensure that electricity supply is not affected by seasonal fluctuations or foreign import costs.

On July 8, Huadian Tianjin Haijing's 1,000,000-kilowatt "salt-solar complementary" power station, the world's largest single-capacity "salt-solar complementary" power station, was connected to the grid for power generation. While improving the ability to guarantee power supply in North China, a composite industrial model of photovoltaic power generation, water surface brine production, and underwater aquaculture has been explored. The biggest difference from other photovoltaic power plants is that the distance between the photovoltaic arrays here is much larger, reaching 14 meters, almost twice that of other photovoltaic power plants. The purpose of this is to minimize the shadowing of the solar panels on the water surface and the impact on the salt production. The slope of this photovoltaic panel is precisely designed to be 17 degrees, while most other photovoltaic power plants are about 30 to 40 degrees. This is because, judging from the trajectory of the sun throughout the year, the occlusion of the water surface at 17 degrees is the smallest. Moreover, both sides of the photovoltaic panel here can generate electricity. In addition to directly absorbing sunlight on the upper surface for electrical energy conversion, its back can also absorb sunlight reflected from the water surface. This alone can increase its power generation efficiency by 5%-7 %. After the project is put into operation, 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity will be produced from the 20,000 mu of salt fields every year, which will further promote the transformation of the green energy structure in North China and drive the internal circulation of the regional industrial chain. At the same time, it realizes a new compound industrial model of "salt and light complementarity" of photovoltaic power generation on water, brine production by surface evaporation, and underwater aquaculture.

Greece's energy history has been dominated by lignite power stations, driven by abundant lignite reserves. At present, however, Greece has begun to make strong statements about the energy transition and has begun to close some old power plants. According to industry commentators, Greece is currently one of the most promising countries for solar PV among the southern European countries, and Greece has been holding clean energy tenders since 2018/19. Currently, Greece also presents a promising PPA market, which we discussed in our cover story on the European market. Greece is a small market of around 10.5 million inhabitants, with tourism as the backbone of its economy. Greece doesn't have much heavy industry, meaning electricity demand is relatively low. However, there are still a large number of solar energy project applications underway, and Greece has the highest stand-alone energy storage target in Europe. Philipp Kunze, project director for BayWa r.e. Greece, said: "In my opinion, Greece is both an opportunity and a challenge. BayWa r.e. has 1.3GW of solar projects in Greece. The interesting aspect of the market is that Greece really understands the energy transition, especially in the power sector , because Greece does have a lot of solar and wind resources." Kunze added that there are several gigawatts of PV applications pending, making Greece "a very competitive market". Due to the relatively limited load in Greece and the limited grid capacity, grid operators are slow to implement grid-connected photovoltaic power generation. Still, the operator has "ambitious plans" to expand the grid, while Greece is exploring the possibility of additional grid connections with various immediate neighbours, including a controversial one with Germany. "The government has a very specific position on grid connection priorities, which has also made some international companies more concerned about the long-term viability or attractiveness of big players in a market like Greece," Kunze said. Looking at fundamental grid issues, most signs are very positive for the future of the Greek solar market. Stelios Psomas, policy advisor to the Greek Association of Photovoltaic Enterprises HELAPCO, said that all indicators, whether installed capacity, pending applications, investment or jobs, point to a peak. While developers are disappointed that it will take months to wait to connect to the grid, for Psomas these are the "best times" so far for the Greek PV industry and "the outlook is even better". While statistics have yet to be released, HELAPCO believes that 2GW could be connected to the grid this year, which Psomas said was a "huge number" for a relatively small country like Greece. In its EU Solar Market Outlook 2022-2026 report, Solar Power Europe noted that in 2022 the Greek market will grow by 62% from the previous year to 1.4GW, driven mainly by small ground-mounted PV projects below 500kW. Positive growth trends have emerged in both the large-scale ground ...

Recently, Mangkang Angdo 1,800 MW solar energy system power generation project in Chamdo, Tibet Autonomous Region started construction. This project is the first new energy development project of the clean energy base in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River. It is planned to realize full capacity on grid solar system power generation on November 30, 2024. The new energy project of the clean energy base in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River includes two photovoltaic power generation projects of 1,800 MW in Mangkang Angdo and 800 MW in Gongjue Latuo. PowerChina Chengdu Survey and Design Research Institute is responsible for the survey, design, procurement, construction, commissioning and grid-connected power generation of the largest section of the Angdo project. Angdo 1800 MW Photovoltaic Project is located in Angdo Township and Luoni Township, Mangkang County, about 45 kilometers away from the county seat, with an altitude of 4,200 to 4,800 meters. It is currently the world's largest under construction, the highest altitude, and an ecological and environmental protection measure The most complete clean energy power generation project. After the completion of the project, the annual power generation will be about 5.4 billion kwh, which can save about 1.67 million tons of standard coal and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3.74 million tons. The economic development of Tibet-related areas is of great significance. According to He Yanfeng, general manager of PowerChina Capital Survey and Design Research Institute, the institute has rich achievements in the field of ultra-high altitude new energy construction, has formed unique core advantages and excellent integrated construction capabilities, and successfully completed the world's highest wind power project Tibet Zhegufeng The electric field is building the Kela power station, a water-solar hybrid project with the second highest installed capacity and altitude in the world.

The Vietnamese government has approved a plan to develop renewable energy generation, including rooftop solar for residential and commercial premises. The plan aims to ensure national energy security and provide the Southeast Asian country with sufficient power supply to achieve the goal of socio-economic development. It is estimated that Vietnam's GDP will grow at an average annual rate of approximately 7% between 2021 and 2030. According to the plan, by 2030, 50% of office buildings and residences will use self-generated rooftop solar power for on-site consumption. The electricity generated will not be sold to the national electricity system. Other parts of the plan include the development of new power sources and grids. The government estimates that the program will cost a total of $134.7 billion. In recent years, Vietnam has accelerated the pace of renewable energy transformation. The Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), a G7 initiative, has agreed to support Vietnam’s green energy transition and mobilize an initial US$15.5 billion in public and private funding over the next few years. This mechanism may help Vietnam solve the problems it has encountered in solar power generation in recent years, after the prosperity of Vietnam in 2018-2020 came to an abrupt halt due in part to grid capacity problems. In addition, Vietnam is one of the beneficiaries of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet to accelerate clean energy transition and access. Priority plans include support for battery storage systems in Vietnam.

Recently, Blueleaf Energy and SunAsia Energy have won contracts from the Philippine government to build and operate the world's largest offshore solar system project in the Philippines, with a cumulative capacity of 610.5MW. In a move seen as a milestone in the Philippine energy sector, the Department of Energy issued the first set of solar operating contracts for floating PV projects totaling 1.3GW. In September 2022, Macquarie's independent portfolio company, Blueleaf Energy, signed a letter of intent to significantly increase its sustainable infrastructure investments in the Philippines. Blueleaf Energy has teamed up with SunAsia Energy to jointly develop a large-scale floating solar facility on Lake Laguna, which spans the emerging cities of Calamba, Sta. Rosa and Cabuyao, as well as the towns of Bay and Victoria.