Eastern Europe

Ukraine is changing its state support mechanism for households installing hybrid renewable energy systems to a one-time, 30% reimbursement of the principal debt. The Ministry of Energy says the change will help increase access to hybrid power supply systems.

More than 35,000 households in Uzbekistan received state subsidies for exporting surplus electricity from rooftop solar systems between January and September, says the State Tax Committee, as participation in the Solar Home program accelerates nationwide.

A four-year analysis conducted at a testing field in eastern Poland has shown that crystalline solar panels offer a stronger performance than thin-film panels at high latitudes. The tests revealed pronounced seasonal variability across all technologies, with thin-film modules showing markedly lower capacity factors than crystalline silicon, particularly in winter.

Germany’s Federal Court of Audit (Bundesrechnungshof) says the nation’s hydrogen strategy is falling short despite heavy subsidies, while Pulsenics and Endua have launched the first commercial AI-based monitoring system to improve electrolyzer performance under fluctuating renewable power conditions.

Armenia’s installed solar capacity has reached 1 GW, and the government is likely to replace its subsidy program for standalone solar projects with one focused on hybrid and storage systems, according to the nation’s infrastructure ministry.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing $142 million in financing to two ACWA Power-led solar-plus-storage projects in central Uzbekistan.

Algerian researchers have built a single-stage solar and battery desalination system for brackish water that uses a hybrid spotted hyena optimizer and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithm to improve efficiency. Simulations and real-time tests showed high performance, steady water output, and low salinity under changing solar conditions.

Regulatory inaction on grid fees has stalled 3.5 GW of large-scale renewables in Croatia, mostly solar, with developers such as Solvis citing a lack of stable grid-connection rules as a barrier to planning and investment.

Romania plans to amend its energy law to require the National Cybersecurity Directorate (DNSC) to define technical standards for PV and cogeneration systems up to 1 MW, aimed at preventing data breaches and safeguarding grid operations.

The battery energy storage system is the first phase of a 315 MW/760 MWh system that is being developed alongside 238 MW of solar under Bulgaria’s largest hybrid power project to date, due for completion next year.