Europe

Renewables-linked PPA prices have shot up nearly 30% in a year, especially due to the war in Ukraine, according to the latest Levelten Energy report.

The Directive No. 2022/542 was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on April 5. According to the new provisions, member states will be free to apply a VAT rate of 0% to 5%.

The International Energy Agency today published a 10-point plan for Europe to reduce its reliance on natural gas imported from Russia. The plan would see Russian gas imports to EU member states reduced by one third within a year, and notes that further reductions within this timeframe would come with significant tradeoffs, likely to impact both energy prices and Europe’s Green Deal. The plan was presented by Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, in a virtual press conference held earlier today.

The direct coupling of electrolyzers with PV and wind power systems will become the cheapest forms of energy in many parts of Europe, according to Aurora Energy Research.

The Q Peak Duo XL-G10 panel series is based on monocrystalline ‘Qantum’ half cells and is the company’s first panel relying on M6 wafers.

A group of companies comprising Akuo Energy, Amarenco, BayWa re, EDF Renouvelables, Enel Green Power, Engie, Iberdrola and Vattenfall has sent a letter to the European Commission to ask for a strategy to build up a continental PV supply chain.

A new report from the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has shown that heat pump technologies are currently unable to compete for heating with gas due to high taxes and levies on electricity. According to its experts, a carbon tax, or removing this tax imbalance, may create a level playing field for renewable technologies in the heating sector.

Antonio Delgado Rigal, chief executive of energy forecasting service AleaSoft, tells pv magazine that skyrocketing gas and electricity prices are putting the global economy under strong pressure, while also opening up huge opportunities for solar, renewables and green hydrogen. He says current gas and electricity prices, along with rising CO2 prices, already make green hydrogen competitive. He therefore calls for immediate action on building new capacity, but acknowledges that a quick end is not yet in sight for rising prices.

Higher gas and electricity prices could open up new opportunities for short-term power purchase agreements in the Italian and European renewable energy markets, according to Stefano Cavriani, the founder and director of EGO Energy, an Italian company that specializes in PPA hedging. In a chat with pv magazine, he explained that electricity prices should not increase more, but they may stabilize at current levels, or slightly below the €100/MWh threshold.

According to UK-based consultant Ember, eight EU countries achieved record solar power production during June and July. Germany and the Netherlands were able to cover around 17% of their electricity demand with PV over the period.