Marie Beyer
Engie sells Africa off-grid business to Ignite
UAE-based Ignite has bought Engie Energy Access, creating Africa’s largest off-grid solar and minigrid operator, serving 15 million people.
French startup offers water heater control to boost PV self-consumption
French startup Ecojoko has introduced a contactor that controls electric water heaters to raise solar self-consumption, with field tests underway since the summer.
France’s Sunology introduces modular residential battery
The system plugs into either a standard power outlet or the main electrical panel and automatically captures surplus solar energy – whether generated by rooftop panels or a portable plug‑and‑play kit. Up to four modules, each with a capacity of 2,200 Wh and 500 W of output, can be combined, and the system comes with a 7,500-cycle warranty for long-term reliability.
France’s largest battery storage system powers up
Harmony Energy has switched on a 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire. It is the largest BESS in France, with full operation expected by the end of 2025.
SolarStratos reaches 8,224 m height
Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan flew the SolarStratos solar-powered aircraft to 8,224 meters on Aug. 10, setting a personal record but falling short of the 9,235-meter world mark held by Solar Impulse.
French solar module maker CreaWatt placed in receivership
French solar module maker CreaWatt was placed in receivership on July 16, with a court hearing set for Sept. 3 to determine its future.
Open-source tools to build self-made management system for surplus PV power
French engineer André Buhart has published the plans and open-source software to create a DIY “solar energy router” to manage PV overproduction. Depending on the configuration, the device can direct excess photovoltaic energy to water heaters, pool motors, or underfloor heating, among others.
UK rejects CfD bid for 10.5 GW Morocco solar-wind subsea cable
The UK government has rejected a contract-for-difference (CfD) application for the proposed Xlinks interconnector, a 3,800 km submarine cable to deliver power from a planned 10.5 GW solar-wind facility in Morocco to the UK grid.
French company offers router capable of redirecting surplus solar to water heating
French energy cooperative Solarcoop has launched a solar router that redirects surplus photovoltaic power from self-consumption systems to electric water heaters or other resistive loads, and can also control additional devices such as heat pumps.
Hard times for pay-as-you-go model
While sales of off-grid solar kits increased slightly in 2024, the market has not regained the momentum seen before 2022. The latest report from the industry’s professional association, Gogla, includes data for the first time on solar generators (38,000 units sold in 2024) and walk-in solar cold rooms (578 units).
