Policies and targets confirmed in 138-page government plan to decarbonize Great Britain’s electricity generation by 2030. Solar and storage to play a key role alongside market reforms, changes to planning process, and a revamped connections queue.

UK government to increase solar capacity threshold for nationally significant infrastructure projects, handing local planners consent power for projects up to 100 MW. Projects with capacity greater than 50 MW in England are currently subject to approval from central government.

The European Commission will publish guidance on agrivoltaics as part of a wider document covering innovative technologies, attendees at pv magazine Roundtables Europe 2024 heard. More than 1,300 guests joined pv magazine’s live event on Dec. 5, which covered topics ranging from quality and European manufacturing to energy storage and solar cell technology.

The UK government announced a new business model for hydrogen, based on dispatchable power agreements available to carbon capture technologies.

More than 300 entries from across 36 countries were received for the pv magazine Awards 2024, making this year’s program the most competitive yet. From modules and inverters to projects and storage, innovation was on display across the board.

Government data records 17.2 GW of deployed solar capacity in the United Kingdom at the end of October 2024. Planning applications for three plants with combined capacity exceeding 1.8 GW submitted in November 2024, suggesting potential for greater additions in the future.

University of Exeter academic Aritra Ghosh tells pv magazine a multidiscipline approach is required to unlock the full potential of agrivoltaics. Discussing a new paper comparing static and tracker agrivoltaics systems in the United Kingdom, the researcher argues better understanding of microclimates under modules and how PV affects crop biochemistry is needed.

Company co-founder Peter Carlsson steps down from CEO position at Northvolt in the wake of Chapter 11 announcement in the United States. The Swedish battery maker has embarked on a debt restructuring process and is seeking new sources of funding.

The UK National Energy System Operator (NESO) has published its Clean Power 2030 Advice to Government, setting out pathways to decarbonize the power system of Great Britain by 2030. It calls for a threefold increase in the pace of deployment to hit clean energy targets.

Solar panels flooded into Pakistan during the first half of 2024 and oversupply has wiped out module margins. Solar developers want greater liberalization of the nation’s electricity market but the government is concerned that moving too quickly could place more pressure on utilities already burdened by high capacity payments.