Western Europe

The Germany manufacturer said its new heat pump systems use propane (R290) as the refrigerant and are able to provide a maximum flow temperature of 70 C. Their coefficient of performance ranges from 4.7 to 5.1.

Spain now has 65.8 GW of solar projects with grid-connection permits, says the country’s energy agency. Total renewable energy installations with grid permits hit 129.5 GW by the end of March, up 15.5% from February.

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.

Scientists have developed a system that harvests rainwater running off PV panels for household use or hydrogen production. Their analysis showed that, in the southern Sahel, the system can meet both the energy and water requirements for electrolysis, with surplus rainwater covering up to 50% of a household’s daily water demand.

Chinese manufacturer Das Solar says it will open its first European PV panel assembly plant in Mandeure, eastern France, by the end of 2025.

Government-run Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) is tendering for the provision of technical and advisory support services for its grant programs aimed at organizations in Ireland planning to decarbonize. The tender follows a report by the SEAI that showed Ireland has a limited market for industrial heat pumps and called for greater outreach and support for businesses to install the technology.

Austria has opened applications for its €60 million ($68.3 million) rooftop PV rebate program for 2025, with a second-round “Made in Europe” bonus offering 20% more funding for projects using European-made components, says OeMAG.

Dutch energy storage firm Return has started construction on the 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage system in Waddinxveen, which will be the first project of the size to connect to the TenneT Netherlands high-voltage network in 2026. Vattenfall will manage and optimize half of the system’s capacity under an eight-year contract.

The Spanish manufacturer will exhibit the E/Xpand HV battery at the upcoming Smarter E show in Munich next month. It will showcase racks for commercial and industrial (C&I) and large-scale systems of up to 5 MWh.

Researchers in Italy have designed a novel carbon dioxide heat pump that can work with photovoltaic-thermal energy, a finned coil heat exchanger and a U-tube borehole heat exchanger. Their experiment has shown that the simultaneous use of at least two energy sources always results in improved system performance even with limited heat transfer areas.