Western Europe

The italian government says it is fast-tracking utility-scale solar, approving about 710 MW of mainly agrivoltaic projects in Puglia while moving to curb regional limits on where PV plants can be built, sharpening tensions over land use and energy policy.

Subsidy support has driven heat pump adoption, with the pace of deployment increasing since early 2024. Second largest subsidy scheme to be wound down in 2026 leaving expanded boiler upgrade scheme as dominant support mechanism. Full details on UK government’s Warm Homes plan expected in early 2026.

Germany has connected the world’s first supercapacitor-based STATCOM to the grid, with Siemens Energy and transmission system operator TenneT positioning it as a blueprint to replace fossil-fuel generators in providing instantaneous reserve and reactive power.

Maxeon has filed a lawsuit in Germany claiming Aiko Solar, and four of its German product distributors, breached a patent related to its back contact solar technology. It is the third such lawsuit Maxeon has opened against Aiko.

Leading experts from quality assurance and balance-of-system manufacturing were joined by a trio of CEOs at pv magazine Week Europe for a revealing discussion on building bankable projects. From glass breakage and soldering errors to significant variations in EPC quality, panelists found detailed auditing, a commitment to processes and an active approach to fault prevention are key to solar project quality in Europe and beyond.

The French government says PV swept its latest technology-neutral auction, with 36 projects totaling 507.7 MW awarded in the fourth round as prices fell and agrivoltaics gained ground.

The European Commission says its new grids package includes €240 billion ($281.8 billion) for hydrogen networks to 2040, alongside fresh Italian State aid for clean tech deployment.

Ireland surpassed 2.1 GW of installed solar capacity in November 2025, and the country’s solar association, Solar Ireland, has revealed that 1 GW of this is from rooftop installations.

Spanish renewables specialist Táctica Industrial says its off-grid photovoltaic system produces green hydrogen at about €400 ($470)/kW using modular alkaline electrolysis without inverters or grid connection.

A group of scientists has simulated fixed vertical, interspace and overhead single-axis as well as overhead dual-axis agrivoltaic systems for 30 years and has found interspace single-axis system emerged as the most environmentally favorable configuration in Europe.