Energy Management Systems

After earmarking €3 million last year and €4 million in 2017, the Italian region of Lombardy has decided to further support residential and commercial storage projects linked to renewables.

The Finnish company has commissioned a large scale storage project to reduce curtailment of wind and solar assets on Bonaire. The system will use machine-learning based energy management software to provide grid services and manage all of the island’s power generators.

Norwegian hydropower company Statkraft has revealed more details of its solar-storage-wind-gas network. Previously announced plans to potentially double capacity this summer were not mentioned in the update.

Swedish company Azelio is studying whether storage could ensure complete self-sufficiency for the 36,000-strong Azraq camp, which already draws 70% of its electricity from solar generation.

The world’s biggest solar market is on track for an unsubsidized future but policymakers continue to grapple with grid planning. A report by the German Energy Agency has offered suggestions on how China’s approach to grid design could be tweaked to ensure priority dispatch for PV while slashing administrative costs and reining in renewable energy losses.

This year’s New Energy Outlook report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts renewables can keep us on track for less than two degrees of global heating for the next decade. But after that, other technologies will have to do their bit.

German power distributor Energy2market intends to develop its international activity under its new French owner. The founding shareholders and Trailstone UK will sell their stock to EDF subsidiary Pulse Croissance.

An energy finance consultant from the international thinktank has added his voice to demands Theresa May, or her successor, spell out exactly how the decarbonization target will be met, and cited failings on solar as a warning on how not to proceed.

The audit agency said at least half the EU member states will be unable to reach their 2020 renewable energy targets, including the Netherlands, France, Ireland, Poland and the U.K. It recommends citizen participation and more renewable energy auctions to increase investment and raise volume in the EU clean energy sector. Cross border renewables trade and grid improvements are also highlighted as necessary for a successful energy transition.

Climate change and environmental protection were a top priority for the elections held in April. With solid green backing from the electorate and an ambitious domestic agenda, Finland is due to assume the EU presidency from Romania. Across the EU green parties are gaining ground but the bloc has yet to draft a comprehensive climate protection bill. Finland’s ambition could change that.