Belgian company challenges 800 W limit for plug-in solar panels in Flanders
Belgian smart energy firm Innovoltus is challenging a new rule from the Flanders energy agency in Belgium capping plug-in solar panels at 800 W per meter, arguing the region lacks authority to impose the limit. The move comes as the country begins sales of plug-in solar panels and home batteries ahead of an April 17 connection date.
UK’s largest solar and storage project secures financial close
Quinbrook completes financing for Cleve Hill Solar Park in Kent, England. The solar and storage project will be the largest in the United Kingdom when it goes live later in 2025. The developer claims contract for difference, capacity market and power purchase agreements (PPAs) were critical to securing project financing.
Nexol Photovolthermic launches new PV water heater
Nexol Photovolthermic AG has developed a new hybrid solar water heater for residential use, offering 1.5 kW of heating output and sizes ranging from 80 to 300 liters.
How to identify interruption of ribbons in solar modules
Scientists in Spain have investigated the total or partial interruptions of ribbons that connect solar cells in modules and have proposed a classification based on their type and location.
Dielectric capping layers improve heterojunction solar module reliability
A research group from France claims to have found a way to reduce indium consumption in heterojunction solar modules by 85 % while maintaining good performances and durability levels. The scientists tested different cell designs and the use of several capping layers to protect the cell from moisture degradation.
France extends collective self-consumption to 5 MW
After being exempted from excise duty up to 1 MW just over a month ago, the maximum power threshold for collective self-consumption has been raised from 3 MW to 5 MW in mainland France.
Dutch regulator launches probe into home solar feed-in costs, compensation
The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) says it will study how energy companies are incorporating home solar costs into prices, as feed-in costs have risen 10% over the past month.
New tool digitizes management of energy communities
CIRCE presents Communit-e, a software program to support the work of community managers, streamline management time and improve transparency among members.
UK T-4 auction clears path for nearly 7 GW of new battery storage by 2028
Out of 6.9 GW of prequalified battery energy storage systems (BESS), equal to 1.9 GW derated capacity, about 1.8 GW of derated BESS secured 15-year contracts in the UK’s T-4 auction – nearly double last year’s volume. Just a week earlier, the T-1 auction also set a record for BESS procurement.
Belgium’s Wallonia region added 92 MW of solar in 2024
The rate of solar installations slowed in the Belgian region of Wallonia last year, as government incentives for residential solar came to an end. Brussels-based renewable energy federation Edora says deployment will need to accelerate across all market segments if the region is to meet its 2030 solar targets.
