The PPA price for pure photovoltaic projects has fallen by 20% over the past year, making such contracts less competitive. However, clear structures for bankable hybrid PPAs are now beginning to take shape, says Pieter van der Meulen, Senior Account Manager at LevelTen Energy, in an interview with pv magazine.

After a record year, the European power purchase agreement (PPA) market has declined sharply. At an industry gathering this week in Amsterdam, participants highlighted rising PPA complexity and potential solutions, including how to handle negative prices in solar PPAs and the move toward hybrid PPAs with battery storage.

More than 500 solar leaders met in Brussels this week for the SolarPower Europe Summit to discuss energy flexibility and EU policy. The EU energy chief said the Affordable Energy Action Plan could save €2.5 trillion ($2.7 trillion).

Solarwatt has launched six new inverters and batteries as part of its Solarwatt Home line and outlined its future strategy. The German company, currently in transition, recently closed its solar module plant in Germany and announced staff reductions.

Sigenergy has been active in Germany since 2023 and was one of the first companies to present a bidirectional DC wallbox that is integrated into a photovoltaic storage system. Co-founder and CTO Samuel Zhang talks about Sigenergy’s story and its plans in expanding into the commercial market, integrating AI into their systems and the future of vehicle-to-grid technology. According to its own statement, the company, is now valued at 600 million euros.

This year is ending with a new record, but installation companies are looking for orders again, says Tim Rosengart, managing director of the Selfmade Energy supply platform. His figures show how falling module prices and the new market situation are putting pressure on PV system prices.

Christian Pho Duc, CTO of Smartenergy, spoke with pv magazine at Intersolar 2023 about the recent EU decision to remove uncertainties over the production and use of green hydrogen, as the European Union has finally defined criteria for solar-powered electrolyzers. He stressed the importance of the new targets, under which the industry will have to buy 42% of its hydrogen from clean sources by 2030.

According to EUPD Research figures, PV system prices for single-family homes in Germany rose slightly in the second quarter of 2023. Despite falling module prices, analysts do not expect costs to fall significantly in the coming months. Prices also depend heavily on installation context, component selection, and region, which is why price comparisons with average figures, such as those used by Enpal in emails to private households, are not particularly meaningful.

Growing interest in European-made solar modules for rooftop systems and PV plants reflects a willingness to increase investments, according to Enerparc COO Stefan Müller. In a recent interview with pv magazine, Müller discusses the market for corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) and the viability of German solar PV tenders.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) told Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue participants this week that $5.4 trillion of annual investment is needed to support the global shift to renewables. Kenyan President William Ruto, meanwhile, called for a fair energy partnership between Europe and Africa.