Europe

Researchers at the EU Joint Research Centre have suggested a series of actions that could be implemented to turn solar power exports between European countries into a real plan.

According to a new report from the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER), distribution system operators should own and operate storage systems only when market-related entities are unable to provide flexibility in accordance with energy regulations.

The new CEO of SolarPower Europe, Walburga Hemetsberger, explained her goals for the development of the European solar industry in the next 10 years when interviewed by pv magazine during the association’s SolarPower Summit in Brussels.

According to new figures released by SolarPower Europe, last year saw 1.4 GW more new solar generation capacity than trade body had expected. Lower demand in China was compensated for by stronger developments in emerging markets.

Indra Overland, head of the Center for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs, explains how the world’s future energy landscape may include pan-regional super-grids. However, prosumer states seeking energy independence could also be in the mix. According to Overland, the two developments will go hand in hand and the balance between them will be determined by the competitiveness of storage technologies.

According to a new report from Agora Energiewende and Sandbag, the EU solar market grew around 60%, or 10 GW, last year. The analysis also predicts that total solar demand across all EU PV markets will continue to grow due to lower module prices, and that it may reach an annual volume of 30 GW within four years. Meanwhile, solar has reportedly achieved a 4% share in the EU electricity mix.

According to a report from the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE), lower capital costs for large-scale wind and solar projects, and much higher fossil fuel and carbon prices could lead to renewables becoming self financing by 2025. If these conditions do not materialize, more auctions and tenders may still be needed.

Two new reports from BloombergNEF recommend that the two northern European countries should implement policies to accelerate the adoption of energy storage and smart electric vehicle charging, while also improving demand response and interconnection to Nordic hydropower reservoirs. All of these actions are expected to further reduce fossil fuel dependence and add flexibility to their respective energy markets.

Walburga Hemetsberger has led the EU Representation Office of Austrian energy company Verbund AG for the past 10 years. At the same time, she was also a board member of Hydrogen Europe, in charge of Energy Transition Solutions.