Western Europe

Norwegian consulting firm Rystad Energy has described the Iberian Peninsula as “a new European energy powerhouse.” It expects Spain and Portugal to reach 79% renewables in their combined electricity mix by 2030.

Amazon Web Services has inaugurated a pilot project to turn the Greek island of Naxos into a “smart island.” A number of other companies, including Volkswagen, are also running smart island pilots in the Aegean Sea.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) says that 691 MW of new PV systems were subsidized under the country’s EEG renewables incentive program in September.

A new study of the environmental impacts of renewable energy finds significant opportunities for solar to reduce its impacts in various categories, including human health, resource depletion, and environmental damage. The study notes in particular that more work is needed to establish a comprehensive reuse and recycling network for end-of-life PV products.

A roof-mounted air source heat pump has reportedly been installed for the first time in the United Kingdom, as part of a pilot project at the University of Salford. The performance of the 200 kg Bosch 3400i Hydrotop will be compared to a similar unit mounted on the wall of a home.

Qingdao University researchers have synthesized high-performance titanium dioxide-based anode materials with excellent cycling stability, while German scientists have used operando techniques to observe how solvated sodium ions embed themselves in electrodes.

A unit of Svevind has signed an agreement to invest up to $50 billion in a project on the Caspian Sea that could produce up to 2 million tons of green hydrogen per year. Stellantis, meanwhile, has revealed plans to mass produce light commercial hydrogen vehicles.

Scientists at EPFL in Switzerland have achieved a new efficiency record for dye-sensitized solar cells. The group reported 15% efficiency in direct sunlight, and up to 30% under ambient light conditions. Their key achievement was the development of a new combination of photosensitizer materials that can absorb the entire light spectrum.

A new study has calculated that the globalized PV module supply chain has saved billions for PV installers in Germany, the US and China. It also found that if strong nationalistic policies that limit the free flow of talent and capital were implemented going forward, solar panel costs would be 20-25% higher by 2030.

Researchers from Germany have designed a tandem perovskite silicon PV cell that reportedly has lower reflection losses and improved open-circuit voltage. They demonstrated a device with submicrometre-periodic nanotextures and an improved back-reflector design.