UK

U.S. battery manufacturer NEC Energy Solutions has signed a contract to supply and operate 50 MW of grid level storage split over two projects in the UK.

The Renewable Energy Association’s energy storage conference that took place in London this week affirmed the U.K.’s immense energy storage potential. To unlock this potential, however, the sector is waiting for policymakers to unveil new policies that will make country’s energy much more storage-friendly.

While global solar power demand increased 50%, new European installations were down 20% compared to 2015, falling to 6.9 GW of new capacity on the continent.

The Chinese group has finalized its acquisition of the entire equity interest in Luxembourg-based Notus Investments 2 S.à r.l., which owns 82.4 MW of operational solar capacity at six undisclosed sites throughout the U.K. 

The Mayflower Autoship is being developed to sail under solar power from Plymouth, Devon to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 2020 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the pilgrims journey aboard the original Mayflower in 1620. This would be the first Atlantic crossing by an unmanned solar vessel.

Having reached a series of clean energy milestones in 2016, WWF Scotland and Scottish Renewables are urging Scottish ministers to set a target of 50% renewable energy penetration by 2030.

The proposed extension of trade measures on solar panels and cells imported into the EU from China would represent a severe blow to the sector, says SolarPower Europe. EU ProSun, however, welcomes the recommendation. Minimum Import Price to be reduced in 2017.

Update from SolarPower Europe reveals that the continent installed 1.56 GW in the months from June to September, a 10% decline on Q3 2015. First nine months of the year saw 5.3 GW installed, a decline of 18%.

Following this week’s announcement that Younicos will supply a 49 MW storage system in the U.K., pv magazine caught up with the company’s president and CEO Stephen L. Prince to find out more about the project, and Younicos’ wider objectives.

A grassroots project in Cornwall, England, is examining ways to implement a special, so-called “sunshine tariff.” The project, although small in scale, could provide the template for the solar business models of the new era of zero subsidies.