In a joint statement released from the ASEAN Ministers on Energy Meeting and IRENA Dialogue by IRENA and ASEAN Member States including, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Energy Ministers of ASEAN and the Director-General of IRENA agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding on long-term co-operation between ASEAN and IRENA to harness the region’s vast renewable energy potential and support ASEAN scale up the energy transition process.“Increasing investment in renewable energy across Southeast Asia’s growing populations will have significant social and economic benefits across the region, liberating them from expensive fossil fuel imports, while boosting economic growth, supporting energy security, job creation and national resilience,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin, who co-chaired the Dialogue.“Southeast Asia is key for the global energy transition and we are fortunate to have an effective regional partner in ASEAN. We fully support its efforts to achieve its aspirational target of 23 per cent of primary energy from renewable sources by 2025, and stand ready to co-develop longer-term plans in pursuit of a sustainable energy future,” Mr. Amin added.IRENA has worked closely with the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and ASEAN to find ways to accelerate renewable energy deployment across the region. An IRENA and ACE renewable energy roadmap report released late last year, shows that ASEAN’s renewables target is attainable, and found that renewable energy in the region can bring lower overall costs, contribute to cleaner cities, support a more secure and robust energy supply.The report also found that around half of the region’s renewable energy potential lies in power generation, especially in solar PV that could grow from two to almost 60 gigawatts. Furthermore, the region’s vast biomass endowment can progress end-use sectors, such as transport, buildings and industry and bring savings of up to USD 40 billion by 2025 from reduced fossil fuels expenditure, and up to USD 10 billion per year from reduced externalities caused by climate change and air pollution.As part of the joint statement, Ministers recognised IRENA as the global intergovernmental organisation mandated to promote the widespread and increased adoption of renewable energy, and thanked the Agency for its strong collaboration in the past in promoting and disseminating policies and measures on renewable energy in ASEAN.On the side lines of the meeting, the Secretary of Energy of the Philippines and the Director-General of IRENA launched Accelerating renewable mini-grid deployment: A study on the Philippines, which makes a number of key recommendations to accelerate the development of renewable mini-grids in the Philippines.

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Quality assurance plays a crucial role in achieving a robust photovoltaic (PV) market and confidence from investors, policy makers and consumers, according to a new report launched by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).The report was released in Santiago, Chile, at the Forum on Regional Cooperation: Developing Quality Infrastructure for Photovoltaic Energy Generation. The event, organised by IRENA, the German National Metrology Institute and Solar Committee of the Chilean Economic Development Agency, and funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, focused on engaging policy-makers and regulators in the Latin America and Caribbean region, in the development and implementation of quality infrastructure for solar PV systems. The forum has attracted representatives from ministries and technical agencies from thirteen countries in the region. “We are experiencing a solar revolution in Chile, and this is the result of the policies that we have implemented in the last three years,” said Mr. Andrés Rebolledo, Chile’s Minister of Energy, at the three-day forum aimed at supporting the establishment of a collaborative network between quality infrastructure institutes in the region. “This Forum supports policy-makers and industry across Latin America to implement the quality assurance instruments needed for the successful deployment of PV technology,” said Mr. Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General. “Through success stories from frontrunner countries, IRENA shows in its recent report that the benefits of providing quality infrastructure services result in substantial additional revenues for PV markets and are essential for the continued expansion of renewables  in the region and beyond.” “The implementation of quality infrastructure can enable an effective route to achieve policy objectives of renewable energy, as it has a positive impact in each of the stages of the technology lifecycle,” the Director-General added. Mr. Ulf Hillner, the German National Metrology Institute’s Head of the Department for Technical Cooperation in Latin America and the Caribbean, said, “What makes this event so important, is that stakeholders from different implementing backgrounds come together to share their experience, and to make use of knowledge from international and regional experts. As a result, an adequate quality infrastructure, matched with appropriate government policies, can contribute to significant improvements in the performance and longevity of solar PV systems.” Titled Boosting Solar PV Markets: The Role of Quality Infrastructure, the report describes how a quality infrastructure can support the uptrend of newly installed PV capacity, which is expected to be maintained in the years to come as new markets in Latin America, the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Asia continue to expand. IRENA projects that by 2030 total installed PV capacity could range between 1,760 gigawatts (GW) and 2,500 GW.

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The new rules were discussed with local and international investors and equipment suppliers at a seminar organised by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), with the participation of the Energy and Mining Ministry and the Argentinian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) at the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange on 1st September.”Renewable power development today occupies a central place in Argentina’s energy, political, social and economic agenda”, said Sebastian Kind, Undersecretary of Renewable Energy at Argentina’s Ministry of Energy and Mining. “We have settled long-term policies and we are witnessing the outcomes of such policies”, he added.Ramón Fiestas, President of GWEC’s Latin America Committee, says “A new scenario for development and financing of renewables projects will open up as a result of the new scheme.” He adds “We have seen how the development of private PPA markets has become an important driver for the wind sector in a growing number of countries around the world.”Argentina is currently seeing a boom in investments in the renewable energy sector, and the event follows the announcement by the government of the next round of renewable power auctions, known as RenovAr 2, which will take place in October, and which is expected to lead to a further US$ 2bn being invested in the sector.Argentina’s Act 27.191 was approved by congress in 2015 and passed into law by the government in 2016. It foresees Argentina achieving 8% of its energy supply from renewables by 2017, and 20% of its supply by 2025. This foresees adding around 10GW of renewable power capacity to Argentina’s system, this translates into 1 to 1.5GW of new wind power capacity per year.Argentina held its first RenovAr tender in October 2016, and a further tender known as RenovAr 1.5 in November. Together, the two auctions awarded 2.4 GW of new renewables capacity, enabling around US$ 4bn of investment.In August 2017, the Energy Ministry launched RenovAr Round 2, in which a further 1.2 GW of capacity will be auctioned. The auction will take place on 29 November.    

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Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) will set a new record this year on the back of a robust 8.8% growth – the fastest since 2011, according to new research published today. This surge is driven by uncertainty of nuclear power generation in Northeast Asia, energy market reforms and concerns on air pollution in China, and higher capacity in major exporting regions. This is despite disruptions like Qatar’s rift with Saudi Arabia, demands for export curbs in Eastern Australia and falling demand in Latin America.The latest forecast from Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s global gas team, shows that consumption will continue to rise despite an overall fall in the cumulative demand of the world’s largest importing region of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (JKT). Ashish Sethia, global head of LNG analysis said: “Asia will continue to be the center of gravity for the world’s LNG demand, importing over 70% of the fuel until 2030. However, from 2025, China, India & ASEAN (Southeast Asia) together will import more LNG than Japan, Korea and Taiwan combined.” The report highlights that LNG will continue to reach new markets as prices remain low, while floating storage and regasification technology makes it easier for new countries to set-up low cost import infrastructure. “By 2022, 20% of global LNG import capacity will be from floating storage and regasification terminals, which are faster to deploy. This will help unlock demand in many new markets,” commented Maggie Kuang, head of Asia Pacific LNG analysis and lead author of the report.European LNG imports are expected to expand in the long-term and cross 100MMtpa by 2030. “European LNG imports will double by the late 2020s, as declines in indigenous production open up opportunities for Russian pipeline exports and LNG,” stated John Twomey, head of European gas analysis. The sustained growth in demand is not expected to result in surging prices as the forecast for LNG supply is higher until 2024 – driven by significant build-out of export capacity in the U.S. and Australia.

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The meeting, entitled: ‘Working Together to Promote Geothermal Energy Towards a Sustainable Energy Future’ – the largest such meeting of ministerial representatives to discuss geothermal energy – was marked by the release of a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), coordinator of the GGA, in which access to capital for surface exploration and drilling was cited as the main barrier to geothermal development. The report also noted that more ‘transparent government regulations that avoid project delays’ were needed to provide sufficient certainty to developers and investors.Minister of Environment, Mr. Gian Luca Galletti stated: “Italy considers the Paris Agreement to be irreversible and non-negotiable and therefore strives to promote geothermal and other renewable energy sources as a vital component for the planet’s sustainable development.”“Geothermal’s vast potential is currently untapped,” he continued. “We must develop new technologies and encourage new investments to ensure we cover this gap. The Alliance will multiply its efforts to guide this process, and Italy will provide its contribution with its long experience and know-how.”Ms. Teresa Bellanova, Italy’s Vice Minister of Economy and Development, said: “Geothermal energy’s consistent and continuous availability make it a highly precious source of renewable energy both in Italy and many countries all over the world. Through our knowledge of the industry, Italy can play an important role in achieving the ambitions of the Paris Agreement, in addition to stimulating sustainable job creation.”Director General of IRENA, Mr. Adnan. Z. Amin, said: “This meeting has, without question, allowed both the policy and industry communities to identify common ground in the pursuit of what is a renewable energy source with tremendous potential.  “If we can identify and implement mechanisms that deliver a greater level of certainty to investors and developers, then we will move beyond meaningful dialogue to decisive action that accelerates geothermal production,” continued Mr. Amin, “contributing significantly to decarbonisation of the global economy, whilst creating jobs and supporting growth around the world.””Access to low carbon forms of energy that support economic development while mitigating climate change, is a core priority for the African Union,” said H.E. Dr. Amani Abou-Zeid, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy. “Geothermal energy is emerging as a hidden gem of Africa’s renewable energy resources and we must work together, across nations, to ensure this resource achieves its potential.“Through partnerships and the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility, the African Union is currently supporting twenty-six projects in East African countries that will generate more than 1500 MW of power,” continued H.E. Abou-Zeid. “We aim to build on this, supporting sustainable exploration, through the work of this Alliance.”The GGA meeting was attended by more than 200 high-level public, intergovernmental, non-governmental and senior private sector representatives committed to scaling up geothermal energy deployment worldwide.Mr. Carlo Pignoloni, Head of Renewable Energies Italy, Iberia, rest of Europe and North Africa at ENEL, said: “Geothermal power can play a significant role in promoting a sustainable and clean development globally. Stable regulatory frameworks, long-term licenses and bankable PPAs, in addition to transparent and public tenders, are key to if we are to take full advantage of the vast global geothermal potential.”The GGA membership is composed of 42 countries, and 29 partner institutions, including multilateral organisations, development partners, international and regional organisations, global financial institutions, academia, research institutions and the and private sector.The Alliance aims to enhance multilateral efforts towards a more favourable environment to achieve a 500 per cent increase in global installed capacity for geothermal power generation and a 200 per cent increase in geothermal heating by 2030.

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This project utilizes Schneider’s Conext XW+ inverters in a system that will provide a residence with 61.2kW of continuous backup power and 166kW-hours of total energy storage capacity. and is a testament to the versatility and scalability of the Conext XW+ platform. The 61.2kW Conext XW+ Multi-cluster consists of nine Conext XW+6848 inverter/chargers configured to 120/208V 3-phase, which happens to be the same as the utility feeder for this 45,000 square foot residence. The Iron Edison LiFePO4 batteries are compatible with the custom charging profile provided by the Conext XW+ system.  The batteries are kept full and ready for a power outage in this AC coupled system. The grid-tie micro inverters allow PV to reduce the demand from the utility grid, and can produce power to the critical loads even after the grid goes down. 
This large residential project was designed by Manfred Thyssen, System Designer from OnTime Energy Solutions, a California based, family-owned and operated business.  OnTime has been providing Southern California residents with reliable HVAC and solar energy services for over 20 years.
Evan Vogel, Director of Marketing, Schneider Electric Solar Business said “We have seen off-grid solar make a difference in locations such as California, and know it really changes lives for the better in so many locations in developing nations where it replaces costly diesel generated energy.” 

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