The hottest Solar Power Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Germany under the sun

GEM Energy Analytics • 459 implied HN points • 10 Jun 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Sustainability Solar Power Policy
  1. Solar energy in Germany is rapidly increasing, with over one gigawatt installed each month. This growth is important because it helps meet their energy goals for the future.
  2. Solar power is very concentrated during certain months. In winter, it barely impacts energy supply, while spring and summer see a big increase in generation.
  3. Negative prices for solar energy are rising, meaning that sometimes the energy is worth less than nothing during high production times. This creates challenges for both producers and market management.

European power reserves: part 2 - aFRR (and how solar is impacting it)

GEM Energy Analytics • 279 implied HN points • 24 Jun 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Policy Renewable Energy Electricity Markets Solar Power
  1. The automatic Frequency Restoration Reserve (aFRR) is crucial for keeping the electricity system balanced in Europe, especially in countries like Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
  2. Solar power is increasingly affecting aFRR prices. When there is a lot of solar energy, traditional power plants are less relied upon, which can lead to higher prices for flexibility in power reserves.
  3. As renewable energy grows, power systems will constantly switch between having too much and too little flexibility. This means power reserve prices could go up significantly during sunny periods.

The rise of vertical solar

GEM Energy Analytics • 459 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Sustainability Environmental Policy
  1. The cost of solar panels has dropped a lot, making it cheaper to install solar energy systems. This means other costs like labor become more important to consider.
  2. Vertical solar panels can be helpful because they can generate energy at different times of the day. This helps capture more value from solar energy by producing power when it's needed most.
  3. Using vertical solar opens up new possibilities, like installing them as fences or along roads. This can save space and also provide benefits beyond just energy generation.

Impact of solar on electricity prices: focus on Germany and Spain

GEM Energy Analytics • 619 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Electricity Markets Solar Power Energy Policy
  1. Solar power is growing quickly in Europe and is expected to double by 2027. This means more solar energy will be available to meet demand.
  2. In markets like Germany and Spain, solar energy lowers electricity prices because it has very low costs compared to fossil fuels. This creates a connection between the amount of solar energy produced and the price of electricity.
  3. Solar generation varies by season and day, impacting prices differently. For example, prices can drop significantly on sunny Sundays when demand is low and solar output is high.
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Solar and the need for more flexibility

GEM Energy Analytics • 219 implied HN points • 13 May 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Electricity Markets Sustainability
  1. Solar energy is growing fast and becoming a main part of our energy systems. This growth is due to lower costs, a global effort to cut emissions, and how easy it is to set up solar technology.
  2. As solar power becomes more popular, we need to be more flexible with how we use and produce energy. This flexibility is important to handle times when there's too much solar energy or not enough.
  3. The rising use of solar power is changing energy prices and increasing the value of flexible energy sources, like batteries and demand response systems, which can help balance supply and demand.

Capture price of renewables: miscellaneous

GEM Energy Analytics • 319 implied HN points • 01 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Energy markets Solar Power
  1. The capture price of renewables, especially solar and wind, is decreasing as their output increases. This means that more solar and wind power leads to lower market prices for electricity.
  2. In specific regions like Spain and Germany, capture prices can drop significantly during peak production months. It shows that when there's a lot of solar energy, prices can actually fall below expectations.
  3. New financial tools are emerging to help manage the risks associated with capturing renewable energy prices. These tools aim to provide more stability for energy producers as renewable energy becomes more common.

Market price and solar: a simple model

GEM Energy Analytics • 219 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Energy Policy Market Dynamics Environmental Impact
  1. As solar energy grows, market prices for electricity tend to drop. This happens because more solar energy can lead to overproduction, causing prices to fall.
  2. There's a limit to how much solar energy can be valuable. If too many solar panels are added, the overall market value can actually go down, which means the captured value for producers diminishes.
  3. The way consumers use electricity will change, but it's not easy. They might shift their usage to match solar energy production, but many obstacles could prevent this from happening.

Where to put solar for maximal emissions reduction?

GEM Energy Analytics • 199 implied HN points • 18 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Carbon Emissions Solar Power Energy Policy Sustainability
  1. Solar panels help reduce carbon emissions, but the best place to put them matters a lot. Areas that rely heavily on coal or gas for power see bigger benefits when switching to solar.
  2. The amount of energy a solar panel can produce depends on where it is installed. For example, sunnier places generate more energy, meaning they can offset more emissions.
  3. The environmental impact also varies based on how solar panels are made and installed. In some cases, it can take just a few months to offset emissions, while in others, it might take many years.

Don't let wind power be blown out

GEM Energy Analytics • 179 implied HN points • 31 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Energy Policy Sustainability
  1. Wind and solar energy work well together, especially because they produce power at different times of the year. This balance is important for a reliable energy system.
  2. The wind energy industry is facing challenges like rising costs and lower investor confidence, making it harder to reach energy goals in the EU.
  3. Solar energy is booming, but if we lean too much towards it, we might mess up the balance with wind energy. Both are needed for creating green hydrogen and meeting heating demands effectively.

The bright future of solar

GEM Energy Analytics • 119 implied HN points • 22 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Investment Trends Global Market Technological Advancements
  1. Solar energy is growing fast around the world, especially with China leading in solar panel installation. Countries like Australia and Germany still produce more solar energy per person.
  2. Investment in solar power is booming, with a significant chunk of renewable investments going into solar projects. This trend shows that people are serious about switching to cleaner energy.
  3. The future looks bright for solar installations, with expectations for rapid growth in capacity. However, challenges like grid limitations and dependence on imports from China could affect this growth.

Solar and market prices: focus on Southeast Europe

GEM Energy Analytics • 139 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Market Analysis Energy Policy
  1. Southeast Europe has a lot of potential for solar energy, especially in Greece, which could become a major supplier of green electricity to Europe.
  2. Solar energy production is expected to grow rapidly in the region, leading to high price fluctuations in day-ahead markets due to varying solar output.
  3. Greece is pushing for better electricity connections with neighboring countries to export its excess solar energy and support the transition away from fossil fuels.

A different way to look at solar

America in Crisis • 59 implied HN points • 30 Dec 23
🔬 Science Solar Power Energy Sources Climate change Infrastructure
  1. Solar power, despite being intermittent, can be made more efficient with government assistance and innovative solutions like storing excess electricity as hydrogen.
  2. Creating a widespread network of solar-powered hydrogen wells could lead to a cost-effective production of green aviation fuel, potentially revolutionizing the energy industry.
  3. Investing in infrastructure for renewable energy, like hydrogen wells, can serve as a stimulus project, offering economic growth opportunities and addressing critical environmental concerns.

Street Notes 6: Solar panels aren’t just a climate solution

Parachute • 58 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Solar Power Jobs Savings Green Technology
  1. Solar panels offer more than just a climate solution - they bring value to individuals and communities.
  2. Solar industry creates jobs for people of diverse backgrounds, offering stable career paths in a transitioning economy.
  3. Solar power provides energy resilience, independence, cost savings, and financial security to households, transforming lives beyond environmental benefits.

Monthly captured values of solar in selected EU countries

GEM Energy Analytics • 79 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Market Analysis Energy Policy
  1. Spain is rapidly increasing its solar energy capacity, expecting to reach over 77 GW by 2026. However, it faces challenges in exporting excess energy due to its limited connections to other countries.
  2. Greece is also expanding its solar capacity, aiming for 15.9 GW by 2026. It is better connected to neighboring countries than Spain, but rising solar energy shares are affecting local prices.
  3. The 'cannibalization factor' shows how much solar energy prices are pressured down by increased solar generation. In both Spain and Greece, this factor has been decreasing over time.

Asteroid mining for fun and profit

Wood From Eden • 144 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🔬 Science Space Economy Solar Power
  1. Mining asteroids for resources is feasible due to the low delta-v requirement for traveling to them.
  2. Asteroids contain valuable metals and minerals like platinum, but the challenge lies in bringing them back to Earth profitably.
  3. Producing goods in space, like water and solar mirrors, for use in space markets can be a profitable alternative to exporting resources back to Earth.

The duck is coming

GEM Energy Analytics • 39 implied HN points • 03 Apr 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Market Trends Solar Power Consumption
  1. The 'duck curve' shows how solar energy impacts power prices throughout the day. Prices are usually low around noon and spike in the evening.
  2. In March 2023, the duck curve was very noticeable, especially in Italy-Sardinia, where power prices varied significantly from day to night.
  3. Previous months displayed weaker effects of the duck curve, but trends are expected to become clearer as solar generation increases and power consumption decreases.

NEM 3.0 is good, actually

cleanenergyreview • 0 implied HN points • 19 May 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Energy Policy Environmental Impact
  1. The transition to NEM 3.0 in California initially caused short-term decline in solar installations, but aims for a healthier market in the long term.
  2. NEM 3.0 shifts towards an 'Avoided Cost Calculator' for new solar installations, aiming to better reflect underlying energy costs and values, especially for peak times.
  3. While NEM 3.0 impacts the value of PV-only systems, the installation of PV + BESS systems can still hold significant value and be beneficial, leading to the next phase of distributed energy management growth in California.