Eastern Europe

Romanian utility Electrica SA has launched a tender for a 12 MW solar project. Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors have until July 27 to submit their offers.

The Slovakian authorities are offering €140 million ($156.1 million) in rebates for 2023 to cover up to 50% of the cost of buying and installing solar water heaters, heat pumps, biomass systems, solar-thermal collectors, and PV systems up to 10 kW in size.

Slovenian solar manufacturer Bisol is offering new solar panels with outputs of 320 W and 410 W. Front efficiencies range from 16.4% to 17.3% and the temperature coefficient is -0.34% per degree Celsius.

Data monitoring from 85 PV power plants built in Czechia between 2009 and 2010 show delamination plays a crucial role in significantly reducing their expected lifetime. The scientists behind the research explained that the main cause for the reduced lifetime was due not only to a poor estimation of the technical possibilities of the PV panels at the time of planning and installation, but also to a profit-led approach aimed at lowering the costs of the projects.

Poland will more than double its installed PV capacity between 2023 and 2025, according to research institute IEO. pv magazine spoke with IEO researcher Agata Krzyżanowska about the main market drivers, the trajectory of the auction system, and potential grid constraints.

Romania’s OMV Petrom has acquired a 710 MW solar project portfolio. It said that all of the PV installations are all close to the ready-to-build stage.

The European solar landscape changed forever in 2022 and managing the supply chain, grid, and permitting constraints will be key to a solar-dominated energy future for the continent.

Kensol said its new air-to-water heat pump uses a Panasonic Inverter DC twin rotary compressor and is able to achieve a maximum water temperature of 60 C.

New research from Serbia claims air-polluted urban climatic conditions may not only induce maximum power point (MPP) tracking problems in PV systems but also reduce power yield by up to 30%. The scientists also said that soiling may significantly affect the functionality of single-stage inverters operating in grid-forming mode.

Vargas, Northvolt’s parent company, has launched Aira, a new business venture that will sell heat pumps on a monthly fee basis. The venture is in the pilot phase in Italy and will expand to Germany and the United Kingdom later this year. It plans to start production in 2024 at a factory in Wroclaw, Poland.