The Renewable Energy Landscape

Projected to reach $244 billion by 2027 , the solar energy sector is booming. As global initiatives such as the UN Global Compact Sustainable Development Goals and COP28 prioritise a transition to renewable energy sources such as solar power, so the energy landscape is transforming. Supporting infrastructure such as battery energy storage systems are now commonly incorporated into both commercial and grid-scale projects to counter the ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ nature of renewable energy generation.

Green light for investment

With investment at an all-time high, and ever-larger projects getting the green light, there is an increasing emphasis on delivering reliability and longevity in these installations.

Europe has long been at the forefront of renewable energy adoption. Initiatives such as The European Green Deal reflect the European Union's ambitious targets for carbon neutrality and driving investments in clean energy technologies and infrastructure, with Germany, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, and the UK all delivering sizable projects. Planning permissions for solar farms has allowed MW capacity grow – from just a handful of 100MW farms proposed just 5 years ago, they are now the norm rather than the exception. What’s more, an estimated 38GW of traditional European generation capacity is reaching the end of its operational life, which could be a big boost to renewables and the associated projects.

The Middle East, despite being a major producer of fossil fuels, is also diversifying its energy mix. The United Arab Emirates – recent host country of international climate change summit COP28 – is offering solar energy at rates almost 50% cheaper than the global average. but their large oil reserves are a major asset to the country’s economy and global position. They have the space for large-scale installations – the world’s single largest solar project can be found in Noor, Abu Dhabi, whilst Saudi Arabia, also a major oil exporter, announced The Line – a renewable energy powered, car-free, zero emissions city – a construction project on a scale never seen before. Yet The Line has already been scaled back and whilst it looks good on governments to invest in these projects, is there enough incentive for the ordinary man to pivot to renewables when traditional fuels remain so low?

Africa too is embracing solar – an obvious choice for the ‘sun continent’ which receives more yearly sunlight hours than any other, yet the International Energy Association (IEA) has revealed that the region has only one percent of solar generation capacity due to ongoing infrastructure challenges from lack of investment into the underlying grid network. As a domestic and commercial scale solution it is thriving, but it is the utility-scale projects that currently lag behind. Yet this too is changing – with large-scale projects in Mauritania, and even an ambitious interconnect cable project by XLinks, generating solar power in Morocco to be transported and used in the UK.

What does this mean for cable infrastructure?

As more solar power is integrated into the grid, existing cable infrastructure must be extended and optimised, integrating smart grid and battery storage technologies to ensure it’s available where and when it’s needed. Historically under-funded, and needing to navigate route access for cable laying across privately owned lands and circumventing challenging environmental features, this is no easy task.

The solar panels themselves are comparatively easy from a cable infrastructure perspective. Daisy-chained photovoltaic panels sit fixed on the land. Over the period of operational lifespan (in the UK this is generally a 25-30 year lease) these panels and the cables that connect them must withstand prolonged exposure to the elements – repeated cycles of UV radiation, temperature fluctuations, moisture (and sometimes full or temporary submersion – AD8 rating). All of these factors can differ depending on the geography of the project and so the cables must be tailored to best suit.

The wider solar farm network and the hidden grid underneath the land can be more challenging. Getting it right from both a specification and a quality & compliance point of view is imperative as access for further works is limited. If the land has to be returned to status quo at the end of the lease, minimal maintenance and intervention in the interim is key to commercial success. Solar farms generate power in DC, meaning inverters must be installed to change to AC for distribution or use. Conversely to this, there will be growth in the requirement for rectifiers (to convert AC to DC) to support the increasing need to charge batteries for large scale energy storage. Transmission and distribution is currently across a Medium Voltage network (30kV/10kV across Europe, 33kV/11kV in the UK) via cables that are likely buried direct in the ground or in buried cable ducts. They must be abrasion resistant, have waterblocking properties suitable for the environment, and be manufactured to the highest quality standards to ensure a service life greater than 25 years. Substations and transformers will likely have to also be built depending on the distance to the point of grid integration. Future developments, particularly in the UK, may see energy going into the transmission grid at 275/400kV but this faces its own infrastructure challenges. Either way, it’s a largely hidden network but entirely critical to the effective deployment of the energy generated.

What does the future hold for solar projects?

The integration of new technologies to optimise the use of renewable energy has taken us another step forward in the global green energy transition. The increased use of AI and blockchain technologies has helped with stabilising and optimising the wider grid, whilst battery storage solutions are the practical manifestation of the resulting outcome. This sits alongside supportive policies from governments as countries focus on meeting the targets of the Paris Accords.

Material shifts are also coming through – reducing the amount of steel needed in mountings and exploring changes such as perovskite cells that move away from traditional silicon cells on PV panels.

The number of industrial & commercial scale installations have also risen substantially as the capex costs drop, giving shorter pay-back and increased energy security at a time of volatile pricing. Similarly, low cost domestic installations, particularly in developing nations, aid self-sufficiency and allow mobile phones and radio batteries to be charged, and the lights to be on – something that is game-changing for many.

Yet for solar power to become the dominant energy source by 2050 as is widely expected, the unseen cable infrastructure needs to be secure and capable of supporting the seismic growth in renewable energy generation. it still comes back to the need for stable power grids and to increase capacity in supply chains to deliver on these new projects. The landscape for power transmission means large infrastructure investment for the transmission and distribution networks and a shift to more and more underground cabling in preference to overhead lines. In short, high quality, high voltage and medium voltage cable is going to see unprecedented demand in the lead up to 2050. It’s a growth sector we’re proud to play a key role in supporting.