Italy, Portugal, Spain break daily solar production records
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s latest analysis finds weekly average electricity prices dropped across most major European markets last week, driven by lower gas and CO2 emissions prices and in some cases, an increase in solar energy production.
Optimizing Carnot batteries for renewables storage
Based on the the heat pump-organic rankine cycle, scientists in Portugal have created six different models of Carnot batteries for stationary storage. They investigated 16 different combinations of working fluids and created a multi-objective optimization for the best candidate.
European electricity prices rise despite negative weekend values
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s says weekly average electricity prices increased across most major European markets last week, despite an influx of negative prices over the weekend. Portugal, meanwhile, broke its all-time record for solar energy production.
European markets break records for solar production in April
AleaSoft Energy Forecasting’s latest analysis finds Germany, Portugal and Spain broke their records for solar production on a day in April last week, while Italy recorded its second highest daily figure ever. Meanwhile, weekly average electricity prices increased across most major European markets.
Spain’s nationwide blackout leaves millions in the dark, cause still unclear
Spanish energy expert Antonio Delgado Rigal tells pv magazine that while the exact cause of yesterday’s nationwide blackout in Spain remains unclear, preliminary signs point to grid instability triggered by system failure.
Chemitek Solar launches new antistatic soiling mitigation coating
The Portuguese company said its new anti-soiling solution lasts for at least a year. It can be applied during routine cleaning operations by mixing it directly in the cleaning water.
Portugal adds 1.77 GW of solar in 2024
Portugal set a record for solar deployment in 2024, installing 1.77 GW and surpassing the previous year’s total. The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity now stands at 5.66 GW, as it works toward a revised 20.8 GW target by 2030.
Corporate PPAs with variable price structure achieve higher performance
Researchers in Portugal have simulated 800 power purchase agreemeents across eight different contract type and have found that contracts with a variable price structure achieve higher performance. Their analysis considered net present value, contract performance deviation and volume residual as the main indicators.
Portugal awards grants to 500 MW of energy storage projects
A total of 43 projects were selected from 79 applications in Portugal’s 2025 energy storage procurement. This included six projects from Spain’s Iberdrola, which secured nearly €20 million ($20.6 million) in public funding.
Renewables supply 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, led by solar
Renewables supplied 71% of Portugal’s electricity in 2024, including 10% from solar, as production hit a record 36.7 TWh, according to grid operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN).
