Policy

The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) says distribution grid investment has risen 51% since 2021, but warns that fragmented planning rules and regulatory distortions could limit efficiency and slow the energy transition.

Free midday electricity schemes aim to shift household demand into periods of high solar PV generation, reducing midday surplus and evening fossil-fuel ramp-up. Research on Australia’s Solar Sharer program suggests such incentives could significantly improve renewable utilization, but outcomes depend on consumer behaviour, load shifting, and rebound effects.

The Tunisian government is inviting private developers to submit applications for solar power plants under the sixth licensing round for full electricity sale to national utility STEG.

The nation’s latest call for long-term power purchase agreements focuses on supplying the national grid with wind and solar projects, specifically mandating integrated battery storage systems to ensure grid resilience.

Analysis of longitudinal survey data has explored the link between intended and actual solar panel adoption in UK households. It finds that while most households that had intention of installing solar in 2012-13 were yet to do so by 2021-22, serious intention to install solar still increases the likelihood of adoption more than other factors such as income and environmental perceptions.

The new provisions published by the country’s energy regulator are aimed to adjust the technical and administrative criteria for distributed generation, particularly with regard to energy storage, installed capacity limits, and interconnection procedures.

The 18th SolarEx Istanbul showcased Türkiye’s expanding solar ecosystem, bringing together hundreds of exhibitors and reinforcing its role as a rising global hub for PV manufacturing and innovation. At the same time, strong growth in distributed solar and emerging battery storage highlights both the market’s potential and its key challenges, including regulatory constraints, grid limits, and increasing global competition.

The U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is unlikely to materially affect solar manufacturing projects in the Middle East for now, as most of these investments remain at an early stage. OPIS analyst Brian Ng sees the most immediate risk in logistics. If disruptions persist, shipments of solar products into the region could be delayed and export pricing may turn volatile.

This week Women in Solar+ Europe gives voice to Ilse Cappelle, Head of Marketing & E-commerce at Netherlands’ Libra Energy. She explains how returning from maternity leave directly into a leadership role showed her the company’s strong support for career growth and work-life balance.

Solar energy, driven by excellent resource conditions and rapidly improving economic attractiveness, is expected to emerge as a bulk energy supplier in future energy systems. The self-limiting effects of solar power can be circumvented through solar-hybrid solutions, such as PV-geothermal hybrid configurations.