The first round of Ireland’s newly introduced Enduring Connection Policy – 1 (ECP-1), introduced at the beginning of the year, has resulted in considerable success for solar PV and battery storage, with the technologies clearly outcompeting various forms of gas-fired generation, biomass, and wind energy.

While it took 60 months to reach the first million electric vehicle (EV) sales, in late 2015, it took the fourth million just six months. China is driving this development. Meanwhile, as first generation EVs batteries are reaching their end-of-life, interest in second-life use cases is growing. The volume of retired EV battery packs is set to be 108 GWh by 2029 – representing a third of the expected storage capacity market at that time.

In consultations in late July this year, the U.K. Government proposed ending both the feed-in tariff (FIT) and export tariff schemes. The policy changes would end financial compensation for prosumers feeding electricity into the grid. In a letter, the industry, including major utilities like Eon and Ovo Energy, voiced their clear rejection of the plan.

Saltwater batteries can be fully recycled receiving a “cradle to cradle” certificate, and don’t contain lead or lithium. For some, this prevails over the disadvantages of saltwater batteries being considerably bigger and heavier, as well as having a lower discharging current than lithium-ion batteries.

The EPC has been operating in the Dutch market for a while. It expects to commission 150 MW of solar PV over the next two to three years. In related news, a total of 772 dairy farms are participating in the FrieslandCampina Solar program.

The market experienced strong growth in nearly all states. Scandinavian countries lead the charge, but Germany showed strong growth in the first half of 2018, analysts report. An uptake in EV sales might result in profound effects on their use as flexible storage units, recent reports and interviews suggest.

A 15 MW solar PV system at Westcott business park is on track to becoming what has been described as the U.K.’s first unsubsidized C&I PV system.

Pacifico Energy is set to commence construction on two utility-scale PV projects totaling 112 MW and 72 MW, respectively, while Trina Solar is working on a 29 MW plant.

A report by Technavio suggests the global market for battery materials could grow 9% annually in the next four years. Analysts point to the increasing installation of storage systems with PV as a key driver. pv magazine has covered previous reports predicting significant growth in PV and storage systems.

Adding energy-intensive industries to microgrids can help refinance system costs and can lower tariffs for residential consumers, a study suggests. To achieve this though, accurate system design and sizing are essential.