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The simpler the setup, the more modules find themselves leaving the premises

Solar Investors Guide #6 – Minimising risks

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Investing in solar parks, expansive rooftop systems and cutting-edge battery storage requires patience and a genuinely long-term outlook. Such projects are generally designed to run for twenty years or more, making it crucial to safeguard them against a broad spectrum of risks over their lifespan – an important issue that is still too often neglected.

Johannes Klag (right) is the product manager for energy management and charging solutions at Hager Germany

Hager: in-building energy supply with storage and EV integration

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PV Guided Tours: Energy management systems integrate not only solar installations and storage but also electric vehicles through bidirectional charging. How does it work, and which functions do such systems offer?

Storage on this scale is changing the maths for data centre power

S&P Global: batteries beat gas and diesel on data centre costs

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Commissioned by Fluence, the study finds flexible capacity from a battery costs $371 million over 25 years in Texas – under a third of the price of gas and a sixth of diesel.

The Elementa containers add 15 MW of battery power to the neighbouring 34.4 MW solar plant

Portugal – Castelo Branco park gets 60 MWh battery boost

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Trina Storage has commissioned its first battery storage project in the Portuguese market. Developed with independent power producer Prosolia Energy, the 15 MW/60 MWh system in the Centro region is paired with an existing solar plant.

Egypt’s next wave of renewables will need a grid ready to take it

Egypt – EBRD, Scatec team up on solar, wind and 4.2 GWh of storage

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The bank is taking a minority stake of up to US$221 million in the Norwegian developer’s investment vehicle, which is lining up 2.7 GW of solar and 900 MW of wind in Egypt, with more projects planned across the southern and eastern Mediterranean.

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What is photovoltaics?

Photovoltaics (PV) refers to the generation of electrical energy from sunlight. At the heart of this process are the solar-active semiconductors known as solar cells, which capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity.

From a technical standpoint, a PV system or solar installation functions as a generator. Here, individual solar cells are combined into a solar module, which is protected from the elements. These modules are then assembled into a larger solar generator, which can be mounted on rooftops, façades, open ground or specially designed structures. The electricity generated is direct current (DC), which is converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter. This AC power can be used directly on site or fed into the public grid via the building’s connection. The electricity is typically supplied to the local utility or grid operator.

Larger PV systems installed on open land are often called solar parks. These feed power into the grid via dedicated transformers and switchgear. In many countries special Acts and regulations govern remuneration for solar power, whether via feed-in tariffs or market premiums for direct sales to third parties.

Self-consumption can be increased by using solar power for heating water, room heating, air conditioning or refrigeration. Battery storage systems help by storing surplus solar electricity for later use. These so-called solar batteries improve system reliability, especially when solar output dips.

Not all incoming sunlight is converted into electricity. The conversion rate depends on the intensity and wavelength of the incoming light spectrum. This ratio between usable electrical output and the maximum available solar radiation is known as efficiency.

The performance of a solar generator or storage system is defined by its output. When multiplied by the number of sunshine hours, this gives the solar yield – the amount of electricity generated per day, month or year. In addition to charging and discharging power, solar batteries are also rated by their capacity, or the amount of energy they can store. Power is measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW), while energy and yield are expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh). (HS)