Greece

Applications to generate electricity from solar plants continue to surge, reflecting the sector’s revival in the country.

The nation elected a new government yesterday, awarding a clear majority to the pro-EU New Democracy party. What could that mean for Greece’s solar sector?

Greece’s fourth tender exercise for renewables this year took place on Monday and allocated solar and wind power projects in separate sections of the procurement round.

Reports about a leaked document suggest that Germany, Italy, Greece and Slovakia have joined a group of EU member states that support a carbon neutrality bill. Germany refused to support such plans in March, but with political support for the German Green Party skyrocketing, Chancellor Angela Merkel is likely to revise her government’s position. With Germany now on the ticket, a plan could be finalized at some point this year.

The country’s PV market has heated up, a fact reflected by the number of applications submitted to the energy regulator seeking a license to generate electricity.

Greece has run solar tenders on three different occasions in the past year, awarding a total of 546 MW of new PV capacity. In all three instances, Greek consumers were manipulated and the country’s institutions did little to protect them.

The energy ministry has published a plan for renewables auctions for this year and next. Under the program, Greece’s energy regulator has announced the next PV tender will take place in the summer.

Solar power has broken two records. It offered the lowest tariff in Greece’s first joint PV-wind tender – a payment level that is also the lowest ever awarded a Greek PV project.

Energy regulator RAE has announced the country’s first joint solar and wind energy auction, which will be held on April 15.

German and Greek scientists are working with industrial partners on the technological feasibility of making solar modules based on perovskite absorbers. The prototypes should be freely configurable in size, shape and color.