Europe

Delivery van sports solar roof in Amsterdam
A Dutch company has modified an electric delivery van to feature a solar roof for the supply of cooling and freezing equipment in its load area.
Jan 30, 2020 // Transport, Solar Roof, Europe, Netherlands
Centrica and sonnen complete 100 battery strong VPP
Centrica and sonnen have completed a virtual power plant (VPP) project, which will allow customers to maximise the potential of their solar panels while providing flexibility to the grid.
Jan 30, 2020 // Residential, Storage, UK, Europe, VPP, Centrica, Sonnen, Flexibility
Bluefield splashes £13.9 million on 13.5MWp of UK solar
Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) has made its first move of the year with the acquisition of three operational UK solar farms
Jan 30, 2020 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, UK, Europe, utility scale, renewables, Subsidy Free, Bluefield, Grid Scale, Ground-Mount Solar
Gresham targets subsidy-free solar with latest Anesco acquisition
Gresham House is targeting subsidy-free solar with the acquisition of the Bumpers solar farm from developer Anesco.
Jan 30, 2020 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, UK, solar pv, Europe, utility scale, renewables, Anesco, Subsidy Free, Gresham House
Testing floating PV with tracking systems
French water management agency Société du Canal de Provence (SCP) is planning an innovative floating project to test its combination with a solar tracking system. The 250 kW project was awarded a fixed tariff in a special tender for innovative PV projects held by The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in February 2018. The plant will be deployed on a water surface managed by SCP in Southern France.
Jan 29, 2020 // Technology, Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Floating PV, France, tender, floating PV, Europe, SCP
Solar secures just 5 MW in Italy’s first 500 MW renewables auction
Only one 5 MW solar project was selected in the 500 MW auction, while wind project developers secured the remaining 495 MW. Final price for the selected solar park was €50/MWh.
Jan 29, 2020 // Markets & Finance News, Italy, Europe, auction, GSE
EnergyNest’s thermal storage to replace natural gas at Austrian manufacturing plant
Norwegian firm EnergyNest is to deploy its thermal battery storage technology at a manufacturing plant in Austria.
Jan 29, 2020 // Technology, Storage, Europe, Austria, thermal, EnergyNest, Christian Thiel, Peter Flotzinger
Total taps French regional bank to refinance 143MW wind, PV portfolio
Total Quadran has enlisted a French financier to pump new capital into an up-and-running renewable energy portfolio, split between 40-plus projects across the country.
Jan 28, 2020 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, Storage, France, pv power plants, solar pv, Europe, Total, refinancing
Foresight to ‘rapidly’ deploy new €342m raise throughout Europe
European investor Foresight Group expects to “rapidly” deploy the proceeds of its latest fund raise, targeting renewables, flexible infrastructure and grids across Europe.
Jan 28, 2020 // Markets & Finance News, Europe, FEIP
Ingeteam unveils new residential hybrid inverter
The manufacturer said its new hybrid device includes a maximum power point tracking system, which makes it ideal for east/west oriented rooftop PV systems. The inverter is available with power outputs of 3 kW and 6 kW and is compatible with most lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries that are made by leading storage specialists.
Jan 28, 2020 // Inverters, Spain, Europe, Ingeteam
New washable solar-powered fabric developed in United Kingdom
The scientific group from NTU (England) has proven that a wearable PV device can be integrated into clothes. The innovative fabric has been based on µc-Si cells embedded into fibrous textile by means of super-thin copper wire. The newly created material is claimed to keep its efficiency after 6,000 abrasions, 25 handwashing and 15 machine washing cycles.
Jan 27, 2020 // Technology, Manufacturing News, UK, Europe
Novel method to simulate performance of a cell with up to 5 junctions
Italian scientific team has developed a new method combining the Hovel model with SMM. The novel approach allows describing electromagnetic radiation in a PV cell more accurately, considering interference effects. The device under examination is based on Ge, InGaAs and InGaP. The corresponding anti-reflection coating can make a cell with 3-5 junctions 50-percent efficient.
Jan 27, 2020 // Technology, Italy, Europe
Railway-connected large scale PV project announced in Germany
A 42 MW solar park will be built in eastern Germany to generate power for the 16.7 Hz network of German rail operator, Deutsche Bahn. Construction is expected to start once final approvals are received from local authorities.
Jan 24, 2020 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Germany, Europe, Ronald Pofalla, Torsten Schein, Enerparc
New process could yield 26.6% efficient IBC cells
Researchers in Germany are trialing a host of new processes and materials to develop interdigitated back contact solar cells. A deposition technology named ‘hot-wire’ chemical vapor deposition, is said to provide excellent passivation without the need for treatments such as recrystallization or hydrogenation.
Jan 24, 2020 // Technology, Germany, solar cells, Europe, IBC Solar
Galp to buy ACS solar assets for €2.2 billion – enough to rebuild Real Madrid
Portuguese gas company Galp Energía says it will become “the largest solar energy company in the Iberian peninsula”. The agreement includes operating PV plants with an installed generation capacity of 900 MW plus a further 2.9 GW under development.
Jan 24, 2020 // Markets & Finance News, Spain, Europe, Galp Energía