CleanTech Report 2020.07.21

Over $5 billion in home energy management system investments.
STI Norland to supply 474 MW of solar trackers to Sol Do Sertão bifacial PV plant.
Vodafone to power entire European network by renewables by July 2021.
Schneider Electric wins $278 million power project deal in Egypt.
Power and water sector investments in Oman total $10 billion.
Solarcentury to develop 1 GW Chilean solar farms.

CleanTech Report July 21st 2020

NORTH AMERICA

Over $5 Billion In Investments Focused On Home Energy Management

Investor Ideas

More than $5 billion has been invested in the HEM space since the beginning of the new century, with $3.2 billion in venture investments in the past five years alone. These investments show a strong innovation interest, as attention is coming from incumbents in the space such as electric utility companies and appliance manufacturers but also smart home solution developers, energy service providers, energy storage solution developers, and automotive OEMs.

US Department Of Energy Funds New Solar Business Innovation

Novus Light

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) will award $12.3 million to 11 small solar companies from 9 states as part of DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program.

Berkshire Hathaway Energy Supports PURPA Ruling

OA Online

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission today approved a final rule modernizing its regulations implementing the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978. Berkshire Hathaway Energy supports the ruling to modernize PURPA, as policy revisions address the significant changes that have taken place in the nation’s energy markets since those rules first took effect, and the revisions will allow the company to provide additional value to its customers.

 

LATIN AMERICA

Wärtsilä Wins 200 MW Power Plant Contract In South America

Off Grid

The technology group Wärtsilä will supply a flexible baseload 200 MW power plant to a country in the Northern Andes. The flexibility of the efficient yet fast-starting Wärtsilä solution will provide the grid balancing capability that is essential with increasing amounts of intermittent wind and solar power generation entering the power systems. At the same time, it will serve as a capacity plant to back up the system in cases of shortage.

 

Solarcentury To Develop Chilean Solar Farms

Energy Global

Solarcentury has been awarded the right to develop three utility-scale solar farms for a total of 1.04 GWp (963 MWac) by the Ministry of National Assets of Chile. In the tender, 11 sites owned by the State of Chile were consented for the development of renewable energy projects, attracting interest from key renewables companies from around the world.

 

STI Norland To Supply 474 MW Of Dual-Row Solar Trackers To The Sol Do Sertão Bifacial PV Plant

Alt Energy Mag

The project will be one of the largest solar plants in Latin America, occupying an area equivalent to 700 football fields. STI Norland, a manufacturer of single-axis solar trackers and fixed structures, is supplying 474 MWp of its solar equipment to a PV project located in Oliveira dos Brejinhos, in the Brazilian state of Bahia.

 

EUROPE

Energyworx Announces Investment From ENGIE

Benzinga

Energyworx, a market leader in cloud-based Energy Data Management solutions announces a strategic investment by ENGIE, through its venture capital arm ENGIE New Ventures. Based in the United States and the Netherlands, Energyworx enables top US and European energy companies to unlock valuable insights in their massive granular supply, demand and contextual energy data sets.

3,500 Jobs Could Be Created At UK’s First Battery ‘Gigafactory’ In Wales

Business Matters

The country’s first so-called battery “gigafactory” has moved a step closer after a site in South Wales was identified as the preferred location. It hoped that up to 3,500 jobs would be created following an initial investment of £1.2bn, but warned its deal was subject to financial backing from the UK government’s Automotive Transformation Fund aimed at boosting the shift to electric vehicles.

Vodafone Claims Its Entire European Network Will Be Powered By Renewable Electricity By July 2021

Daily Mail

Mobile giant Vodafone has brought forward its target to have its entire European network to be powered by 100 percent renewable electricity. The telco will create a green network for customers across 11 European markets using only power from wind, solar or hydro sources by no later than July 2021. This is more than four years earlier than its previous renewable target date for Europe of December 31, 2025.   

 

ASIA

India Plans Solar Wafer, Ingot Manufacturing Tenders To Cut Chinese Imports

liveMINT

To set up the much-needed solar wafer and ingot capacity in the country, India plans to come out with tenders that may provide viability gap funding (VGF) to attract domestic manufacturers, said two people aware of the development. Wafers and ingots are the building blocks for manufacturing solar cells and modules, and are essential to India’s clean energy plans. Globally, solar wafer and ingot manufacturing is dominated by China.

Turkey Gets 3.9 Billion Liras For Clean Energy Generation In June

Daily News

A total of 817 facilities, with an installed capacity of 21,049 megawatts, received financial backing in June under the YEKDEM scheme and produced about 6.17 million megawatt-hours of electricity. Turkey, which wants to fully utilize local and renewable energy sources efficiently to support its development, offers feed-in tariffs for renewable energy plants including wind, hydropower, geothermal, biomass and solar through this scheme.

Maharashtra To Get More Clean Energy Through 602 MW Solar Power Projects

The Logical Indian

In a bid to generate clean and renewable energy for the protection of the environment, the Maharashtra government will implement mega solar power projects worth 602 MW, state Energy Minister Nitin Raut said on Wednesday, July 15. Raut was addressing a review meeting of proposed solar power projects by Maharashtra State Power Generation Co Ltd (Mahagenco) under EPC mode and Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Solar Park scheme, which was presided over by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

 

MENA

Schneider Electric Wins $278M Egypt Power Project Deal

ZAWYA

Schneider Electric, a leader in energy management and automation, said it has secured a €254 million ($278 million) contract from Egyptian Electricity Holding Company to help convert electric distribution network into a future-ready smart grid. As per the agreement, Schneider Electric will build four control centres that will monitor and optimise the electricity network, as well as over 12,000 smart ring main units that will be installed throughout the national network within the next 18 months.

Kuwait Scraps $1.4 Billion Solar Project

ZAWYA

Kuwait has cancelled plans to construct the Al Dabdaba solar plant, which would have provided 15 percent of the oil sector’s needs from renewable sources, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, reported Reuters. The decision was taken following a cabinet meeting yesterday (July 13) after evaluating the project in the context of spreading of coronavirus and its impacts on the global oil and financial markets.

Power And Water Sector Investments In Oman Total $10 Billion

ZAWYA

Nama Group (NG) organised a virtual roundtable discussion with economists focusing on its integrated strategy to increase efficiency and ensure the provision of safe and sustainable electricity to all customers across the Sultanate in collaboration with all relevant stakeholders.

 

AFRICA

South Africa Renewables Firms Look For Debt Savings To Lower Tariffs

Reuters

South African renewable energy companies are looking for ways to make savings on their debt so they can help the government lower power tariffs from older solar and wind projects, the country’s wind energy association SAWEA said on Thursday.

New SAPVIA Board Talk Renewables To Boost Economy

ESI Africa

SAPVIA was formed a decade ago by six individuals with a passion to have renewable energy included in the IRP2010. Today the industry body represents 378 companies and service providers across South Africa. SAPVIA COO Nivesh Govender says the new board members add a wealth of experience and knowledge to the industry. “We have come a long way since then and as a body, we are excited to step into this new chapter with a multi-talented team steering us,” said Govender.

Malian Solar Company SolarX Raises Series A Funding Round

Disrupt Africa

Mali-based solar company SolarX has raised an undisclosed Series A funding round to help it expand at home as well as in Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. SolarX provides a one-stop shop solution for clean energy services, providing reliable and affordable energy which allows end-users to operate more efficiently in challenging environments. 

 

AUSTRALIA

Solar Farm And Big Battery Approved For Parkes In NSW

Renew Economy

Plans to build an 80MW solar farm and big battery in Parkes in the Central West region of New South Wales have been given the green light by the state government. The 80MW Quorn Park solar farm, which will include a 20MWh battery storage system, was granted development approval late last week by the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.

Minister To Review $10 Billion Green Energy Bank’s Bias Probe

The Sydney Morning Herald

Minister Taylor in March requested his department secretary carry out an inquiry into the $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation’s decisions to award contracts worth $100 million to RateSetter without going to tender, following widespread complaints by rival energy lenders.

McCain Foods To Build Renewable Energy System In Australia

FoodBev

McCain Foods has started the construction of a renewable energy system that it claims will reduce CO2 emissions at its Australian facility by more than 27,000 tonnes per year. The system will be installed at McCain’s food processing facility in Ballarat and reportedly marks Australia’s largest “behind-the-meter” renewable energy system. As a result of the 8.2mW system, which will utilise a combination of solar and co-generation technology, McCain’s energy consumption in Ballarat will be subsidised by 39%.

 
 

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