Thanks to the government’s strategy and financial incentives, the energy market on Reunion Island is changing rapidly towards a more sustainable future. Today, more than 60% of the island's homes have solar water heaters installed on their roofs. Since the early 2000’s, public policies have largely incentivized photovoltaic solar energy in Reunion Island, making it a test lab for renewables - on- and off-grid. Reunion
'Understanding Clouds' was the theme of World Meteorological Day 2017 (on 23/03) to highlight the enormous importance of clouds for weather climate and water. Clouds are central to weather observations and forecasts. Clouds are one of the key uncertainties in the study of climate change. Clouds play a critical role in the water cycle and shaping the global distribution of water resources. Have a look
In the frame of the integration of national energy markets, European institutions show a willingness to encourage the harmonization and the liberalization of the EU internal energy market. To do so, the interconnection of the national electricity grids is a tremendous lever that give energy market players numerous opportunities, with several advantages for the end user. The advantages of a Single Energy Market are divided
On September 1st, 2016, Reunion Island was on the front row to witness an extraordinary astronomical show: an annular eclipse. How did this rare event impact the photovoltaic generation, and the management of the local power grid? The Moon gradually blotted out the Sun in the morning of September 1st, successively casting its shadow from Equatorial Africa to the south of the Indian Ocean. Located
How solar forecasting could avoid negative energy prices due to high renewable energy generation. The German market was affected on May 8th 2016 by an exceptional penetration of variable (solar and wind) renewable energy sources (RES) into the grid. The latter represented nearly 87% of the country’s electricity production, causing the occurrence of negative prices of about € -144.78 on the spot market throughout the
The world is moving towards a population more and more present in cities, with an increasing centralisation of business centres. This causes an increase in the number of inhabitants in these areas. Indeed, the United Nations announced that in 2030, two out of three people would live in cities. If nothing is done to adapt these urban areas, they will lead to inevitable economic and
The energy revolution is underway and is supported by the increasing development of renewable energy sources (RES). Indeed, in 2015, the use of green energy accounted for 134 GW of additional power capacity, more than 50% of the overall development. Solar and wind installations represented the majority of this new generation. These two energies are called variable. A phenomenon that affects RE operators and which
The 21st century is marked by a general awareness about environmental concerns. Facing these challenges, the EU has adopted ambitious targets for its member countries: achieve by 2020 the "3x20" climate plan, namely: - Increase to 20% the share of renewable energies (RE) in the energy mix - Reduce by 20% the C02 emissions compared to 1990 - Increase energy efficiency by 20% This new
Reunion Island, like most insular regions, is ruled by a carbon economy which is heavily dependent on oil, imported by sea. But in recent years, the energy transition has become the watchword of these non-interconnected areas. This results into an increasing implementation of renewable energy sources (RES) in these regions. In 2012, this island of the southwest Indian Ocean had a renewable electricity production capacity
Solar forecasts for energy trading have become vital, in particular with the arrival of direct marketing in France, and the gradual withdrawal of feed-in tariffs across Europe. The number of solar installations connected to electrical grids keeps on increasing around the world. A recent report from the American group Mercom Capital forecasts nearly 65GW of global solar installations for 2016. A growing injection of intermittent
