EU clears Greek aid for 813 MW of PV with storage
The European Commission has approved €1 billion ($1.08 billion) of Greek measures under EU state-aid rules to support two utility-scale solar projects with lithium-ion batteries and molten-salt thermal storage. The funds will take the form of a contract for difference (CfD) over a period of 20 years.
Macquarie to deploy 749 MWh of storage for 370 MW of solar in Greece
Cero Development Hellas, part of Macquarie, has secured approval to install 749 MWh at one of the largest PV plants in Greece.
Sweden reports higher than expected PV growth for 2023
Official figures from Sweden’s energy association says more solar was added than estimates suggested during a record year for PV deployment in 2023, with the country’s cumulative capacity now standing at around 4 GW.
Polar Night Energy secures €7.6 million to scale-up sand battery technology
The Finnish startup says the funding will go towards several key purposes, including growing its sales and R&D teams and advancing capabilities in converting stored heat back to electricity.
PI Berlin, PVEL, Extel Energy unite under Kiwa brand
PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), Extel Energy, and PI Berlin have unified under the Kiwa brand. Dutch company Kiwa, which has acquired the three PV testing laboratories over the past three years, says it aims to more effectively present its range of services for the solar industry.
Residential heat pumps linked to solar-plus-storage achieve higher seasonal performance factor
Researchers at Germany’s Frauhofer ISE have analyzed the performance of a residential heat pump connected to a rooftop PV system relying on battery storage and have found that this combination significantly improves the performance of the heat pump while also increasing considerably the solar array’s self-consumption rate.
The Hydrogen Stream: Stadler finalizes longest hydrogen train test
Stadler says it has wrapped up a hydrogen train test, while Ballard has secured a long-term agreement to supply 1,000 hydrogen fuel cell engines through 2027.
Netherlands identifies 725 km2 of solar-suitable rooftops
The Dutch government, through a new open-access PV database, has discovered that approximately 50% of all rooftops in the Netherlands could potentially host PV systems. However, only 8% of them could immediately accommodate solar arrays without the need for obstacle removal.
Portuguese utility says renewables covered 91% of demand in March
Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), the grid operator in Portugal, says that renewables covered 91% of national electricity demand in March. This marks the third consecutive month in which clean energy has exceeded 80% of total power demand.
Romanian oil company seeks EPC contractors for 710 MW solar project
Romania’s OMV Petrom has launched an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tender for the Theia solar project, which it acquired from Danish developer Jantzen Renewables in July 2023.
