Estonia

The Baltic nation installed 90 MW of PV last year, four times more than it had done since it began adopting solar. The growth was down to a new regulation issued by the government in June and the big push came mainly from small installations.

More than a dozen European ministers of economic affairs have released a statement setting out the next steps to turn Europe into an industrial hub for large-scale cell production. The role of SMEs and competition was highlighted as ministers said European cells should provide innovation in terms of raw material use and sustainability, hinting at a pivot away from lithium-ion.

Blockchain innovator WePower and Estonian transmission system operator Elering have partnered to tokenize the Estonian grid using an Ethereum blockchain. The project is pilot, but its initiators say it could provide tangible data for bringing the technology to markets worldwide.

Solar DAO, a digital, autonomous, closed-end, utility-scale PV project investment fund, has announced its partnership with Powerchain, decentralized platform for energy storage, which allows prosumers to buy, store and sell energy.

With new amendments to the Electricity Market Act, the Baltic country will now have its first technology-neutral auctions for renewable energy projects ranging in size from 50 kW to 1 MW, its feed-in premium scheme limited to generators up to 50 kW (which may favor solar), and more chances to create direct lines with single final customers.

The Estonian state-owned power utility announced its plans to enter the solar energy business in September. The company has now commissioned a 200 kW rooftop solar power generator, which will sell power to a local farmer under a 25-year PPA.

WePower is raising money in hopes of leveraging Bitcoin’s ‘blockchain’ technology to enable instant tracking and trading of clean electricity.

The company will offer solar leasing solutions as well as turn-key projects for self-consumption.

The Finnish utility has confirmed plans to build a MW-sized PV plant in the Baltic country. The installation would be located near Tartu, Estonia’s second largest city.

The Estonian government plans to replace the current FIP scheme for renewable energies with an auction mechanism within the next few months. The country’s installed PV capacity reached 10 MW at the end of 2016.