Renewables, an antidote against volatile electricity prices for the EU
The European Commission says renewables are playing a central role in lowering spot prices and stopping rises in network charges and fees. In the EU energy market, however, coal and gas still dominate, ensuring power prices are unpredictable.
Interview: CellCube president Stefan Schauss on Brexit’s impact on the British storage industry
Vanadium redox flow battery supplier Cellcube spoke to pv magazine about the latest political developments in the U.K. and what the effects on storage could be.
Sonnen receives €25 milllion financing from the European Investment Bank
The EIB said supporting the battery supplier will help Europe realize its clean energy targets. The funds are earmarked for the company’s European R&D, as well as stemming ‘operational burdens’ from its growth rate. Sonnen recently made headlines by opening a factory in Australia to supply its virtual power plant in Adelaide.
EDF develops its first floating PV project – which will be France’s largest
The 20 MW solar project will be located on the hydroelectric reservoir at Lazer in the Hautes-Alpes, next to the Saint-Sauveur dam.
Dutch pension fund and Shell eye acquisition of energy company Eneco
PGGM and Shell have expressed interest in acquiring sustainable energy company Eneco, a municipality owned business which wants to go private. The energy provider has installed 100 MW of PV and operates in northwest Europe.
Kaco sells central inverter business to Korean developer OCI Power
German concern Kaco has sold its central inverter business. The German manufacturer hopes to focus on its string inverter and energy storage branches while the South Korean buyer hopes the newly acquired knowhow can improve the energy efficiency of its large-scale PV parks.
Solar investment slid on the back of cheaper modules and China setback
The world again saw more than $300 billion of clean energy investment in 2018, according to BloombergNEF, and although wind narrowed the gap on solar, plunging module prices skewed the figures as PV capacity additions rose 10 GW.
Cepsa and Masdar ink agreement for 600 MW of renewables in Iberia
The energy companies have signed a partnership agreement to expand their portfolios on the Iberian peninsula. Spain and Portugal have ambitious decarbonization plans requiring large capacities of renewable energy resources in the years to come. Spain’s PV market could reach 6 GW this year.
TrendForce forecasts 111 GW of new solar this year
The Taiwanese market research company said the effects of the 5/31 policy shift in China were less severe than expected, and in 2018 the global solar market grew 4.9%, with approximately 103 GW of new additions. This year, the solar demand is forecast to rise another 7.7%.
Power-to-X gains momentum on two fronts in Germany
Two power-to-gas projects promise to improve the technology. In Brandenburg, Edis and Gasag want to transform renewable power into hydrogen, driving sectoral coupling. And Sunfire has switched on its first co-electrolysis project.
