EU

Although wind power dominates the renewables scene in the Republic of Ireland and the North – and even natural gas has a bigger role to play – the grid companies of the neighbors have revised up their estimates of how much solar will be needed, after talking to the public and industry.

With Paris having retroactively reduced solar feed-in tariff rates guaranteed for 20 years in 2006 and 2010, developer Solar Electric Holding has been unsuccessful in a legal bid to force the commission to decide on the compatibility of the incentive program with EU state aid rules.

The Euro trade body has promised to monitor the developing solar jobs market annually from now on, and pointed to Poland’s position at the top of the tree of EU member states for PV jobs last year as evidence the technology can still benefit from legislative backing.

Amid reports of panels that should be destined for recycling instead being sold off in the Middle East and Africa, and the potential to bulk out products with non-functioning solar cells, a Beirut-based body has advised the government to shut down second-hand imports.

In a chat with pv magazine at the Key Energy event in Rimini, Roberta Valenziani, of Italian trade body Elettricità Futura, explained the factors preventing Italy’s PV market from having a renaissance. She said the country has Europe’s longest delays and highest costs for obtaining permits for large scale solar.

The latest edition of a clean power jobs survey produced by IRENA and the International Labour Organization has stressed the important role which will need to be played by the public sector if the energy transition’s employment benefits are to be shared equally.

The situation in the energy markets is tense. Following national pushes for action, the European Commission has now announced its set of recommendations to combat rocketing energy prices.

A consultation process examining whether legislation is required to ensure the eco credentials of panels and inverters is focusing on eco-design and energy labeling but has also made mention of the need for less carbon intensive manufacturing.

Preparatory studies can be backed by a funding line offered under the energy program of the Connecting Europe Facility infrastructure cashpot, with applications open until November 30.

Electricity transmission system operators from 35 European countries have opened the call for new storage and long-distance network projects that wish to be included in their next, Europe-wide ten-year grid development plan.