Portugal’s main renewables industry group is preparing a licensing guide for onshore energy projects. It aims to simplify and clarify all stages of the licensing process in order to expedite the implementation of solar and wind projects.

Solar generation accounted for a 8.2% of Portugal’s total electricity production in May – a new record for the country.

Hanwha Group has marked World Bee Day by unveiling the country’s first solar beehive. The PV modules on the beehive generate electricity to automatically monitor and control internal conditions.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced a mandate for rooftop solar on commercial and public buildings by 2027, and for residential buildings by 2029. The EU target for renewable energy has been increased from 40% to 45%.

SolarPower Europe launched its “Global Market Outlook” report at Intersolar Europe this week in Munich. The world installed a record 167.8 GW of solar in 2021, passing the 1 TW milestone and giving rise to a new international solar star: Brazil. 

Portuguese startup Solarud has developed a way to eliminate soiling around the frames of PV panels with low inclination slopes. The device drains water that would otherwise stay stagnant on the surface of modules.

The second day of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue was dominated by the role of renewables in facing three world crises: climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.