Eastern Europe

The European Commission stated that capacity mechanisms in these five electricity markets are in line with EU state aid rules, and that all of the mechanisms are “well-designed”. SolarPower Europe says further supporting most polluting power generation forms through capacity mechanism simply does not make sense anymore.

Researchers at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI) have developed next-generation solids consisting of quantum dots (QD), or semiconductor crystals with a diameter of just few nanometers, that could deliver a big step towards cheaper and more efficient photovoltaic devices.

The conversation around battery cell production may be heated, but it is largely confined to the advanced industrial economies of China, Japan, South Korea and the U.S. Although also a high-tech hub of innovation and manufacturing expertise, Europe has been on the outside looking in for some time. But that could all be about to change as two exciting storage production programs take flight.

In the first 2018 round for solar rebates, funds were allocated in just nine minutes. More than two thirds of the selected projects included a storage solution.

In what is the largest ever energy grant to be issued by the EU, France and Spain’s interconnection capabilities are to be boosted to 5 GW once an undersea cable across the Bay of Biscay is finalized.

Lithium ion (Li-ion) manufacturer, GS Yuasa has announced plans to establish a European subsidiary, and to construct a new manufacturing plant for lithium batteries in Miskolc, Hungary.

The new scheme envisages the construction of 600 solar farms with a capacity of 0.5 MW each.

Noting that it is close to reaching its 33% renewable energy target, Montenegro’s Ministry of Economy has said it will not issue any more licenses for renewable energy projects. It has, however, launched the third phase of deployment of solar PV systems for un-electrified households in secluded mountainous areas.