Volkswagen launches first large-scale battery storage project in Germany
Volkswagen has connected its first 20 MW/40 MWh stationary storage system in Salzgitter, Germany, marking the start of its plan to integrate battery production, storage, and energy trading within a single corporate structure.
Gas-fired electricity two to three times costlier than renewable backups
A study by Forum Ökologisch‑Soziale Marktwirtschaft (FÖS), commissioned by Green Planet Energy, says electricity from gas plants could reach €0.67 ($0.78)/kWh, largely due to externalized costs, while renewable-based backups remain far cheaper.
Photovoltaics reach 16.1% share of Germany’s electricity generation in 2025
Germany’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) says solar generation rose to 70.1 TWh in 2025, up 17.4% from the previous year, even as wind and hydropower output declined and natural gas generation increased 10.2%.
High-temp sodium-zinc batteries reveal causes of rapid capacity loss
Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) researchers have used operando X-ray imaging to reveal why sodium-zinc molten-salt batteries, operating at around 600 C and promising for stationary energy storage due to low-cost, abundant materials, experience persistent capacity loss.
German consortium launches web guide for BIPV planning
Germany’s SolarEnvelopeCenter project has launched a web-based planning guide for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), offering standardized design solutions for roofs and facades that comply with building codes and industry standards.
Anti-glare film enables PV system at Brussels Airport
Warehouses De Pauw (WDP) has installed an 8.5 MW solar system at a warehouse near Brussels-Charleroi Airport, equipping roughly 40% of modules with Phytonics anti-glare film to prevent air traffic disruption while maintaining near-full energy output.
German solar plant cleared to provide secondary control reserve
Sunnic Lighthouse says Germany’s first prequalified solar project for secondary control reserve shows how quickly PV assets can move into advanced grid-services markets.
EFT Energy Solutions unveils modular battery for European C&I market
EFT Energy Solutions says its new Industrial Flex system, built around BYD lithium iron phosphate modules, applies residential-level standardization to the commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage market.
German lab pilots 20 kV battery system to cut energy losses
Researchers at Dortmund University are testing a high-voltage battery system operating up to 20 kV to reduce energy losses and improve efficiency.
Vertical floating PV plant comes online in Germany
Sinn Power has deployed a 1.8 MW vertical solar array on a quarry lake in the Bavarian municipality of Gilching. The company highlights the ecological benefits of the vertical system configuration and, perhaps surprisingly, its high resistance to storms.
