EBRD commits €300 million to Greece’s renewables
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a framework committing up to €300 million of new financing for Greece’s renewable energy sector. The timing is crucial, since the Greek electricity sector is expected to undergo fundamental changes very soon.
“We should work all together for the future of energy”
Interview: SolarPower Europe has appointed Wacker Chemie’s Christian Westermeier as new president. pv magazine spoke with the outgoing president Oliver Schäfer about the reasons behind his unexpected resignation and the future of PV and the energy market in Europe.
Hanwha Q Cells and Adler Solar sign 25 MW repowering deal
The South Korean solar firm will supply its Q.Plus modules to German services provider Adler Solar to install at older solar sites in need of upgrade and repowering. The option remains open for Adler to upgrade the supply deal to 30 MW.
Switzerland installed 250 MW of new PV systems in 2016
According to estimates from national association Swissolar, about 250 MW of new PV installations were connected to Switzerland’s grid last year.
Tesvolt and Samsung unveil new high-voltage storage system
The German battery manufacturer and the Korean industrial conglomerate have unveiled a new high-voltage storage system. The device has an efficiency of 98% and functions just as well with a low voltage of 48 volts as with a high voltage of 1,000 volts.
Eon reports record €16 billion loss for 2016
The German energy company said its new strategy is fully reflected in its balance sheet. This was accompanied by the largest loss ever registered by the group. Eon is now planning workforce reductions, as well as further measures to reduce its net liabilities to €20 billion in the mid-term.
Moixa, Hitachi collaborate on GBP 10.8m Smart Islands EV, solar+storage project on Isles of Scilly
The British archipelago of islands to become global testbed for Smart Islands project that aims to provide model for use of electric vehicles and home batteries in a smart energy system.
Engie plans to acquire RWE’s renewable energy unit Innogy, reports
The French energy giant is offering to acquire Innogy, the renewable energy unit of German power provider RWE. Innogy acquired German developer Belectric and its huge solar power plant portfolio in January.
Vattenfall uses BMW car batteries for storage projects at winds farms
German car maker BMW will provide Vattenfall with 1,000 lithium-ion car batteries. Vattenfall will use the batteries, which are also used for the vehicle BMW i3, for storage projects at wind farms.
Italian PV demand maintains steady pace in January, new opportunities for business
The Italian PV market maintains its path of stable growth in January with approximately 25.7 MW in new systems. Meanwhile, the local government agency GSE has published new rules for the revamping and repowering of existing installations. The Italian renewable energy sector believes that the new rules will create new business opportunities for both solar manufacturers and developers.
