The Netherlands: Chint switches on the Netherlands’ self-styled largest solar project - by José Rojo Martín

The Netherlands has recently marked the operational launch of one of the largest solar farms seen to date, a plant delivered in the country’s northeast by Chinese partners.

Chint Solar has now powered up the 103MWp Midden-Groningen Solar Park, built within eight months this year to the east of the city of Groningen.

The 315,000-panel installation was equipped by PV module maker – and Chint’s sister firm – Astronergy and is now supplying the Dutch grid from its 117-hectare site near the village of Sappemeer.

Construction got underway in February 2019 and was completed by the October 2019 deadline thanks to favourable weather conditions this summer, Chint explained.

Read more at: Chint switches on the Netherlands’ self-styled largest solar project | PV Tech

Green Energy- Solar Power: China outshines Europe in 2017 clean power investment ranking

Solar Power Plant in ALMERE, the Netherlands

Solar power dominated a global ranking of new renewable energy investments “like never before” last year, with China accounting for more than half of the world’s new capacity, the UN said on Thursday (5 April). Investments in Europe, on the other hand, recorded a massive drop.

The world installed a record 98 gigawatts of new solar capacity in 2017, far more than the net additions of any other technology – renewable, fossil fuel or nuclear – according to new data.

The ‘Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018’ report was released on Thursday (5 April) by UN Environment, the Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre, and Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

At $160.8 billion, solar power attracted far more investment than any other technology. China saw “an unprecedented boom” in solar that saw some 53 gigawatts added – more than half the global total – with $86.5 billion invested.

‘’China’s clean energy push is impressive and good news for the planet,” said trade association SolarPower Europe, citing “a near 80% red

Overall, renewable energies were far ahead, at $279.8 billion, towering above new investment in coal and gas generation capacity, which reached an estimated $103 billion.

“The world added more solar capacity than coal, gas, and nuclear plants combined,” said Nils Stieglitz, President of Frankfurt School of Finance & Management. “This shows where we are heading, although the fact that renewables altogether are still far from providing the majority of electricity means that we still have a long way to go.”

Last year was the eighth in a row in which global investment in renewables exceeded $200 billion, the report said. Since 2004, the world has invested $2.9 trillion in these green energy sources.

But some regions like the United States and Europe have clearly fallen behind. In the US, investments dropped 6%, to $40.5 billion. In Europe, the fall was steeper, at 36%, to reach $40.9 billion. The biggest drops were recorded in the United Kingdom (down 65% to $7.6 billion) and Germany (down 35% to $10.4 billion).

“In countries that saw lower investment, it generally reflected a mixture of changes in policy support, the timing of large project financings, such as in offshore wind, and lower capital costs per megawatt,” said Angus McCrone, Chief Editor of Bloomberg New Energy Finance and lead author of the report.

Read more: China outshines Europe in 2017 clean power investment ranking – EURACTIV.com

Solar Energy: In France, one of Europe's most powerful solar farms marries innovation with scale -by Anmar Frangoul

Over several decades, France has come to rely heavily on nuclear power. According to the World Nuclear Association, around 75 percent of the country's electricity comes from nuclear.

The country is undergoing something of an energy transition, however. In 2015, France introduced an "energy transition for green growth" act, which set six medium and long term-objectives. These include cutting fossil fuel consumption by 30 percent by 2030 and reducing nuclear energy's share of electricity production to 50 percent by 2025.

In the south west of France, one solar farm is looking to marry innovation and scale. "The Cestas solar farm site covers 250 hectares with a power output of 300 megawatts from one million solar panels," Guilhem de Tyssandier, site manager at the Cestas solar PV plant, told CNBC's Sustainable Energy.


"The plant provides, on average, power for 300,000 people per annum," de Tyssandier added.

Read more: In France, one of Europe's most powerful solar farms marries innovation with scale

The Netherlands - Alternative energy: Beautiful solar-powered car chargers keep the Netherlands moving

Ever since I started driving an electric car, I've been surprised by just how little I need or care about having a charging network available to me. But I have a driveway. And a second car. For the one-car families and/or those who live in apartments, a reliable charging network would go a long way toward making electric cars a more attractive and practical option.

In the Netherlands, just such a network is already emerging. Fastned has already built 50 beautiful solar-powered chargers and they are aiming for 200 in the very near future. Robert Llewellyn of Fully Charged paid one charging station a visit, and he chatted with company founder Bart Lubbers about their plans for the future.

A few points worthy of note:

    *The solar panels create enough charge for about three cars. The rest comes from a contract with wind power generators.
    *The charging stations are built with expansion in mind. The one in the video currently has two chargers, but there's room for six more.
    *Fastned offers several pricing options and plans, including monthly fees and lower Kwh rates for people charging regularly, and no monthly fee but higher Kwh rates for people needing to charge only occasionally.

Lubbers also shares that the company eventually plans to add shops/coffee shops/bathroom facilities etc. This really does look like a smart approach to electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Now I kind of wish we had something like this in my neighborhood, even though I don't really need it...

Read more: Beautiful solar-powered car chargers keep the Netherlands moving : TreeHugger

Solar Energy; Solar Inpulse around the world flight

Solar-powered Solar Impulse 2 lands in Ohio in latest US stage of record-breaking journey http://dw.com/p/1IsSXht

Solar Energy: Morocco Launches World's Largest Solar Plant To Supply Renewable Energy To More Than 1 Million People.

Morocco is building on the edge of the Sahara Desert what would be the world’s largest solar power plant by 2018.

Last Thursday, its King Mohammed VI switched on the first phase of the concentrated solar energy plant, which will be the size of the capital city by the time of its completion and will provide electricity to 1.1 million individuals. The king also laid the foundations for the second phase.

Read more:nMorocco Launches World's Largest Solar Plant To Supply Renewable Energy To More Than 1 Million People : SCIENCE : Tech Times

'Solar Energy: Smart' solar palm trees power WiFi, phones in Dubai - by Saket S.

A new species of palm tree has started sprouting around Dubai. But instead of producing dates, the fronds of the Smart Palm harness the sun’s energy to allow people to look up city information, access WiFi, and charge their phones, all for free.

Topped with nine leaf-shaped photovoltaic modules, a six-meter-tall Smart Palm can generate around 7.2 kilowatt hours per day, enough to operate without ever drawing off the grid.

The two prototype palms that have already been installed - one at a beach near the Burj Al Arab hotel and other at centrally located Zabeel Park - each carry a WiFi hotspot, eight charging stations for phones and tablets, and a touch-screen panel giving local details on things like weather and transportation.

The company behind the device, Dubai-based D Idea, says connectivity is just the start of the Smart Palm’s potential.

“Subsequent Smart Palms will have ATM machines and utility bill payment services,” said CEO Viktor Nelepa. “Our team has also started to find new ways in which the Smart Palm can support other forms of sustainable generation, specifically through air and water purification modules.”

Read more: 'Smart' solar palm trees power WiFi, phones in Dubai - The Globe and Mail

Solar Flight: NASA’s ten-engine electric plane takes off

A team at NASA’s Langley Research Center is developing a concept of a battery-powered plane that has 10 engines and can take off like a helicopter and fly efficiently like an aircraft.

The prototype, called Greased Lightning or GL-10, is currently in the design and testing phase. The initial thought was to develop a 20-foot wingspan (6.1 meters) aircraft powered by hybrid diesel/electric engines, but the team started with smaller versions for testing, built by rapid prototyping.

During a recent spring day the engineers took the GL-10 to test its wings at a military base about two hours away from NASA Langley. The remotely piloted plane has a 10-foot wingspan (3.05 meters), eight electric motors on the wings, two electric motors on the tail and weighs a maximum of 62 pounds (28.1 kilograms) at take off.

Read more: Watch: NASA’s ten-engine electric plane takes off | euronews, world news

Alternative Enrgy: The Netherlands has laid the world’s first solar road – we go eyes-on to investigate - by Joel Hruska

Earlier this week, the first solar roadway opened in Amsterdam — a 70-meter stretch of cycle path between two suburbs of the city that generates solar power from rugged, textured glass-covered photovoltaic cells.

My significant other, Jessica Hall, happens to be spending a semester in Amsterdam and was willing to trek out to the Krommenie-Wormerveer cross-connection to see this solar roadway in action.

Below, we’ll answer some common questions people have raised about the projects and the road itself. One thing to know about the Netherlands is that biking is huge there, despite the wet, maritime climate. Building a solar bike path isn’t a throwaway gesture as it is in the United States, and the bike path itself, as you’ll see, is laned like a modern road.

This project is built by SolaRoad — it’s different from the crowdfunded Solar Roadways project that  Extreme Tech wrote about earlier this year.

Read more: The Netherlands has laid the world’s first solar road – we go eyes-on to investigate | ExtremeTech

Solar Energy: Students in the Netherlands unveil a solar-powered family car - by Lauren Hockenso

STELLA Solar Passenger car

Will we ever be able to live in a world powered by the sun? Solar Team Eindhoven, made up of students from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, has solved a crucial part of going solar: An solar-powered car that comfortably seats a family of four.

Named Stella after the latin word for “star,” the proof-of-concept vehicle comes equipped with solar cells that actually collect more energy than is used by the car’s engine, sharing surplus solar energy back to the power grid. The car’s development began just last September, and the group of 22 students across multiple disciplines of the Eindhoven University of Technology built the car from the ground up in only six months.

The materials used on the Stella’s body – carbon and aluminum — work in combination with its bullet-like aerodynamic design to maximize efficiency without sacrificing space. In addition to powerful generators and a futuristic look, the car can seat a family of four, has enough room for a trunk and even has a smart steering wheel that expands or contracts depending on how fast the car is going (a sign that the driver is either too fast or too slow).

The car, which has a range of 600 kilometers or roughly 372 miles, doesn’t have a top speed available and isn’t likely to breeze past the one currently in your driveway. However, Solar Team Eindhoven does have plans to make the Stella officially street legal. Click here to see the video

Read more: Students in the Netherlands unveil a solar-powered family car — Tech News and Analysis

Solar Energy: EU not coordinating with Washington on China solar dispute

Europe's top trade official said on Tuesday there were no coordinated talks with the United States to negotiate an end to a trade dispute with China over the dumping of solar panels onto their respective markets.

The European Union has until June 5 to decide whether or not to impose duties averaging 47 percent on Chinese manufactured solar panels. The United States has already imposed duties of about 30 percent on Chinese manufacturers.

"We do not have a common battle plan. We have not discussed it," EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht told a meeting of New York finance, business and academic communities sponsored by the European American Chamber of Commerce and the State University of New York. "We have not teamed up. We have not done so."

De Gucht was responding to a New York Times report that said the United States and the European Union have each decided to negotiate settlements with China to resolve anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases against Chinese solar products.

Read more: EU not coordinating with Washington on China solar dispute

Solar Energy: cut 13% of your energy cost by not using your electric dryer

Sun dried clothes smell better

The electric dryer in your home is the second most energy-hogging appliance in your home, next only to your refrigerator refrigerator. Electric dryers use up to 13% of residential energy.

By hanging laundry on a clothesline to dry, the average family can save quite some money on their yearly electricity costs. Using natural solar energy to dry your laundry is also a simple way to reduce energy use and the amount of pollution you create with your dryer.

Take advantage of this abundant free passive solar energy freely available to dry your clothes. Installing a clothesline in your yard can save you a substantial amount of money over the course of a year. It also guarantees that your clothes will be smelling fresh and clean without the use of those chemically treated perfumed softener sheets.

Morocco promoting solar energy gets boost with solar powered plane landing

Morocco's ambitious and expensive plan to draw 40 percent of its energy needs from the limitless power of its blazing sun by 2020 received a publicity boost this week as the first solar powered plane to make an intercontinental flight landed in the North African kingdom.

As Swiss pilot and adventurer Bertrand Piccard stepped out of the fragile craft in front of reporters late Tuesday following his 20-hour flight from Madrid, he immediately paid tribute to Morocco's solar ambitions, which include one day exporting electricity to Europe. "We came here out of admiration for Morocco's pioneering solar energy program," Piccard said, flashing a brilliant smile and hugging members of his team on the tarmac.

Just moments earlier, the Solar Impulse had swept silently out of the darkness to glide onto the runway. Its four battery-powered turbo-props were already still, showing off the aircraft's ability to fly even when the sun is gone.

EU-Digest

Trade War ? US commerce department brings heavy tariffs against Chinese solar panels - by Suzanne Goldenberg

The Obama administration imposed heavy tariffs on Chinese solar panels on Thursday, after finding that China is flooding the market with government subsidised products.

The preliminary decision, that China had dumped solar products on the US for less than the cost of manufacture, will result in tariffs of between 31% and 250% on Chinese imports.
It was seen on Thursday as a mixed blessing.

US solar panel makers, who brought the original complaint, are expected to benefit. But the tariffs, by forcing up prices, are expected to slow the adoption of solar power more generally.
There were also fears the move could lead to a broader US-Chinese trade war.

Read more: US commerce department brings heavy tariffs against Chinese solar panels | World news | guardian.co.uk

The Netherlands - Alternative energy: Almere Sun Island

For the first time in the Netherlands, homes are heated collectively with locally-generated solar energy. Nuon built Almere Sun Island and connected it to its district heating network.

Since May 2010 Almere Sun Island has supplied heating and hot tap water to the new Almere residential district Noorderplassen-West. The solar island is in keeping with the urban planning for the residential area and is an icon in the Almere landscape. The 520 solar collectors have a surface area of 7,000 m2, about one and a half football fields. It is one of the largest solar collector fields in the world.

The project by Dutch energy company Nuon is part of its long range plans to make its energy supply innovative and sustainable. The solar island supplies 9.750 Gigajoules of sustainable energy annually. That is 10% of the annual heating needs of the 2,700 houses in the district, or the energy used by taking a million showers a year. Nuon provides the remaining heat using environmentally friendly residual heat from their nearby bio-fed power plant in Almere.

In addition the solar collectors and district heating together reduce CO2 emissions by more than 50% compared to gas-fired heating. That is equivalent to driving 30 million fewer kilometres a year.

EU-Digest

Solar Energy: Brussels warns Italy against slashing solar energy incentives

The European Union's energy chief urged Italy to set up a clear and predictable support scheme for the solar energy sector and ensure stability for investors to avoid possible penalties.

Under a law passed in Italy in March, current generous incentives to the booming solar market - originally expected to run from 2011 to 2013 - will apply only to those solar plants that connect to the grid by the end of May.

The law was issued in compliance with the EU's directive on 2020 green energy targets but the sudden change in the support scheme has caused uproar among investors and operators about the future of business in one of Europe's biggest solar markets.

For more: Brussels warns Italy against slashing solar energy incentives | EurActiv

Alternative Energy: Cost-competitive renewable energy within reach: says a Boston energy consulting group

ALMERE, the Netherlands, Solar Island

An International business advisory firm "Boston Consulting Group" released a report last Wednesday that examined seven key energy sectors. It projects dramatic gains for some in the short term, while others are expected to take much longer to expand

Conventional fossil fuels will keep their status as the main source of global energy for at least the next two decades, but some re-newables – such as biofuels, solar power and onshore wind – should soon be able to compete effectively without subsidies, according to a new study.

The report notes that much of the momentum toward renewables, built up in the years before the worldwide recession, was lost as energy prices fell, project financing declined and alternative energy companies saw their stock prices drop. Some sectors have since regained strength, and the report’s authors say it is now clear that ones that can be scaled up at reasonable prices will take a permanent position in the energy landscape.

Concentrated Solar: Systems that focus the sun’s energy to heat fluids, which are then used to generate electricity, are becoming competitive with conventional power generation. In areas with lots of sunlight and lots of room, it could be a significant electricity source by 2020. The energy can also be “stored” in the thermal fluids, then used when needed. Lack of transmission links could slow the roll-out.

Also in climatically colder areas solar power is gaining ground. One of the worlds largest solar energy  collector islands (see picture insert above) is located in Almere, the Netherlands, considered one of Europe's most avant-garde cities. A brand new city built on reclaimed land from the ocean with the first inhabitants settling there in 1976.  The Almere "Solar Island" started producing energy in June of this year and eventually will supply some 2700 homes with heat and hot water.

EU-Digest
For permission to quote or publish EU-Digest reports : editor@eu-digest.com 

Solar Energy: 87 Minute Test Flight of Solar-Powered Airplane Successful

A prototype airplane with 12,000 solar cells in its wings stayed in the air for 87 minutes during its first test flight Wednesday, April 7.

The plane, named Solar Impulse, soared the airspace of Switzerland at a height of 3,900 feet while cruising at 28 miles per hour. German Markus Scherdel was at the controls of the single-seat plane. The entire plane weighs 3,527 pounds (same as a single family-sized car) and the wingspan is as big as that of an Airbus A340.

The plane was first introduced last December when it did a “flea hop”, flying a distance of 350 meters at one meter above a military airbase runway near Zurich. The target of the team behind the solar airplane is to develop an aircraft that will fly without fuel or emissions at full capacity day AND night. This means that the airplane will be environment friendly too.

For more: 87 Minute Test Flight of Solar-Powered Airplane Successful | Daily Contributor

Spain Negotiating With Solar Power Producers for Cut in Tariffs - BusinessWeek

Spain’s Industry Ministry is in talks with solar power producers about reducing the feed-in tariff for generating electricity, though the government hasn’t yet proposed a specific cut, a ministry spokesman said today.

Solar companies have suggested a cut of up to 30 percent in the price of power generated at solar plants from 2012, according to a spokesman for the Photovoltaic Industry Association. The government may impose a cut of as much as 40 percent on photovoltaic plants, Expansion reported today.

For more: Spain Negotiating With Solar Power Producers for Cut in Tariffs - BusinessWeek

Renewable Energy Focus - EU PVSEC: Fraunhofer ISE develops new solar PV technologies with greater efficiency

For the complete report from Renewable Energy Focus click on this link

EU PVSEC: Fraunhofer ISE develops new solar PV technologies with greater efficiency

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Germany have developed new methods and cell concepts for the manufacture of n-type silicon solar photovoltaic (PV) cells. As a result, higher efficiencies and power production levels are also possible for commercial solar cells.