From pv magazine Germany

The Dutch research institute TNO has carried out a detailed life cycle analysis of floating PV systems on behalf of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS). It shows that the floating systems have a slightly larger carbon footprint than land-based systems, mainly due to the additional components for the floating structure.

According to the experts, the carbon footprint of floating systems is around 15% larger than that of land-based systems with an east-west orientation. Compared to those with a south orientation, it is around 25%. However, floating systems have other advantages, such as the use of water instead of land and potential synergies with hydroelectric power plants.

According to their calculations, the CO2 emissions of floating systems are around 50 grams per kilowatt-hour of electricity generated, around seven times less than the current electricity mix in Germany and three to four times less than the EU-wide target for 2030.

For their analysis, the experts compared two real floating systems, one in Germany with a support structure made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and one in the Netherlands with a structure made of steel and HDPE, with hypothetical systems on land.

Recycling further reduces the carbon footprint

According to the experts, the carbon footprint of the floating system could be reduced with three measures: by using electricity from low-emission sources in the manufacture of the PV modules, by using recycled materials in the support structures and by recycling the HDPE at the end of its life cycle.

“Our study of two operating systems in Western Europe shows that floating photovoltaic systems on small inland waters can be a good complement to ground-mounted systems from the point of view of greenhouse gas emissions over the entire life cycle,” said Josco Kester, co-author of the study.

The researchers recommend further research into the environmental impact of floating photovoltaic systems, particularly with regard to the impact on aquatic ecosystems.

From pv magazine Germany

The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI), a U.S.-based non-profit energy research and development organization, has set up a database listing battery storage fires throughout the world. It recorded 50 incidents during the 2018-23 period. With the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) and Twaice, a Munich-based producer of battery analysis software, EPRI has now examined 26 fire incidents in order to determine the cause of the blazes.

German agricultural and industrial conglomerate Baywa AG has successfully completed its search for investors for the planned capital increase of its renewables energy unit, Baywa re.

The company said, in a press release, it received an equity contribution of $640 million from unspecified funds advised by U.S.-based Energy Infrastructure Partners (EIP). This sum was enough to ensure a 49% stake in the company for the new investors. Baywa AG will remain the majority shareholder, with 51%. EIP, formerly Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners, specializes in long-term investments in the energy sector.

This deal is the largest transaction in Baywa’s corporate history. Together with the green bond placed in 2019, the group has acquired $1.25 billion on the capital market for the renewable energies business area in just under two years.

The operation will be made as a capital increase through the issuance of new shares. After completion, Baywa re GmbH will be converted into a stock corporation. Its CEO will be Matthias Taft, who is currently still responsible for the energy segment at Baywa AG. The implementation of the capital increase is still subject to the usual regulatory approvals.

Baywa AG and EIP have agreed to strengthen Baywa re’s project, service and solution business and at the same time develop the company into an independent power producer (IPP). Baywa re is to operate selected solar and wind power plants itself, with a total volume of up to 3 GW in the medium term.

“In just one decade, Baywa re developed into one of the leading companies in the field of renewable energies which is now valued at more than $1 billion on the market,” said Klaus Josef Lutz, CEO of Baywa AG.  “The Baywa re success story also reflects the result of Baywa’s internationalization.”

“We look forward to working with Baywa re and being able to offer our institutional investors access to this unique international platform in the field of renewable energies which makes an important contribution to the energy transition,” said Roland Dörig, co-founder and managing partner of EIP.

Will German clean power providers Lichtblick, Polarstern, EWS Schönau, Greenpeace Energy and their peers soon face competition from the USA? Quite possibly.

Tesla is considering entering the German electricity market with an innovative tariff and is conducting a survey among potential customers to determine interest in its electricity offer and whether to link energy supply with its other products. With Tesla customers renowned for brand loyalty it could represent serious competition for current players in the field.

Tesla had no comment on the matter for pv magazine but we have seen the survey, which includes a question asking customers what would persuade them to switch electricity supplier. One of the responses offered concerns a supply contract linked to ownership of a PV rooftop, Tesla Powerwall home storage and Tesla software.

The Tesla home

The questionnaire also asks which Tesla products customers would consider buying, including home energy storage; solar panels; a Tesla Wall Connector electric vehicle (EV) charging point; access to a public EV charging network in addition to Tesla fast chargers; and, crucially, the supply of clean electricity.

The option of combining Tesla products is again hinted at by a question which moots an “energy package” of panels, storage, EV charger and green electricity.

Another query on the survey asks customers what sort of electricity payment model they would prefer and includes among the options a day-ahead hourly-variable price per kilowatt-hour. The option is posed as part of a question which asks what element of EV charging control customers would be prepared to surrender to Tesla, hinting at the grid balancing benefits a Tesla vehicle-to-grid network could offer.

Grid ancillary services

The company asks: “Suppose your car is charged every morning to meet your daily needs. Under what conditions would you allow Tesla to control the charging time of your car so that it is charged for your daily needs and to offer you a cheaper electricity tariff?” Options include: “If there is a clear financial advantage for me,” “If there are other advantages such as free or cheaper charging at home or on public charging stations,” and “If it helps to increase the share of renewable energies in the energy mix.”

And it is not only Germany which has caught Tesla’s eye, it seems, with British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reporting the company applied for a power supply license from the national regulatory authority in early May, with a view to setting up automated electricity trading.