Strategic Alliances

As the solar wave sweeps across Europe, creaking grids are emphasizing the continent’s overriding need for energy storage.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has launched an expression of interest for a consulting study on solar manufacturing in the Desert to Power Sahel countries. Interested parties have until June 7 to submit their bids.

RE+ held the Solar + Storage España event in Barcelona on May 10 and 11, in collaboration with pv magazine. Our team of editors curated and hosted the two-day “Sun of Spain to Lead Europe” conference.

Carrier, a US-based heating specialist, is set to acquire Germany’s Viessmann Climate Solutions in a €12 billion ($13.27 billion) deal. The acquisition will see Viessmann’s heat pump business fall into the hands of one of the leading market players in the United States, as Carrier looks to expand its reach in the rapidly growing European heat pump market.

As efficiency records tumble and devices become more stable, Europe is seeing the beginnings of a race to commercialize high-efficiency perovskite-silicon tandem solar products, reports Valerie Thompson.

A European Union-funded project is bringing building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) solutions to eight historical cities in Europe. pv magazine recently spoke with Júlia Pereira, project coordinator for EDP New, about the innovative solutions being blended into the landscape in Évora, Portugal.

Samsung and the city of Oxford in the UK have announced the trial of a neighborhood heat pump scheme in Rose Hill, Oxford. The project aims to connect communities to local installers, helping to remove key barriers to heat pump uptake, including cost. Up to 150 Samsung air-source heat pumps will be installed at a reduced price of GBP 2,600 ($3,185) each.

Gerard Reid, co-founder of corporate finance advisory Alexa Capital, considers whether the EU is up to the task of dealing with the twin threats of the energy crisis and the pull of a revitalized US clean power industry.

Australian grid operator Transgrid has partnered with German machinery manufacturer Zeck for the use of its innovative steel separation tech. Zeck’s machine can process electricity transmission lines into a recycle-ready state onsite. Previously, Transgrid sent old transmission lines offshore for this process at a much higher cost.

An international consortium led by Israel’s Al-Zahrawi Society has launched the Regace project to develop agrivoltaic solutions for greenhouses. It will investigate the performance of a new tracking system across locations and climates and use carbon dioxide enrichment to improve crop yield.