Europe

Huawei facing another three Solaredge lawsuits
Inverter manufacturer Solaredge has filed three additional patent infringement lawsuits against its competitor, Huawei, in China. This comes after three similar legal actions against Huawei that had been undertaken by Solaredge in Germany last summer. While Huawei has decided not to comment on the matter, the Chinese manufacturer revealed that it had filed three patent litigation claims against Solaredge at a Chinese court this May.
Oct 7, 2019 // Manufacturing News, Inverters, Germany, China, Europe, Asia, SolarEdge, Israel, Jabil Circuit (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd.
New antenna for a better photon harvest
An Italian research team has developed a device that it says can easily be integrated into a PV cell, and can boost its efficiency by converting more light particles into a high energy state before they are absorbed by the cell. The scientists claim that their innovation could offer a green‐to‐blue photon upconversion yield as high as 15%.
Oct 7, 2019 // Technology, Italy, Europe, PV cell, Angiolina Comotti
WoodMac: Merchant shift may push PV towards risk-keener owners
Solar’s embrace of subsidy-free models could push it in greater numbers towards owners with the experience to navigate power price swings, according to Wood Mackenzie.
Oct 7, 2019 // Markets & Finance News, Europe, woodmac, Africa, middle east, NextEra, Rishab Shrestha, Tom Heggarty
Spain’s Enerside to deploy 322MW PV project in northeastern Brazil
Spanish developer Enerside will start construction of a 322.06MW solar park in northeastern Brazil early next year, government officials said over the weekend.
Oct 7, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, UTILITY-SCALE SOLAR, Spain, tender, South america, Europe, Brazil, auction, enerside, Ribeiro Gonçalves
NextEra and Southern Company Rank as Largest Solar Owners Outside China
The global solar market is growing rapidly but remains highly fragmented, Wood Mackenzie says.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, USA, SOUTHERN COMPANY, Italy, Wood Mackenzie, China, Duke Energy, Europe, Asia, enel green power, North America, NextEra Energy, Dominion Resources, Rishab Shrestha, Tom Heggarty
Ireland allocates 110 MW in large scale storage auction
Originally intended to commission 140 MW of storage, the tender drew three winning projects: a 50 MW system and two 30 MW facilities. Eirgrid has estimated the total value of the contracts at around €6 million per year.
Oct 4, 2019 // Storage, Grids, Ireland, Europe, auction, Eirgrid Group
Corsica hosts 5 MW/7.5 MWh solar plant with Tesla batteries
The project is in Giuncaggio, in the northeastern part of the French island, and was built with Tesla Powerpack batteries, a Nidec power management system and a new power management device from the project’s developer Corsica Sole.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Storage, TESLA, France, SunPower, Europe, Corsica, Nidec, Anthony Bonello
Solar power could stop China’s Belt and Road Initiative from unleashing huge carbon emissions
China has invested US$90 billion in the countries involved in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) since 2013. The BRI involves developing infrastructure in 126 partner countries to boost trade within a region stretching from Indonesia to Western Europe via the Middle East and East Africa, inspired by the historical Silk Road.
Oct 4, 2019 // Solar, China, Europe, Asia, Africa, carbon
New configuration gives perovskite cells 18% efficiency
Cesium lead black perovskites could be interesting for solar cell development if their crystals are observed in their less efficient but more stable beta phase. The efficiency shortfall can be solved by healing emerging cracks in the surface of the cell using a choline iodide solution, according to an international team of scientists.
Oct 4, 2019 // Technology, Manufacturing News, China, Europe, Asia, Switzerland, Luis K Ono, Jiao Tong University
Solar helping UK clean up legacy of coal industry
The governmental body responsible for keeping mine pollution out of waterways has announced completion of the first phase of a plan to use solar to keep down its electricity bills.
Oct 4, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Markets & Finance News, UK, First Solar, Europe, HBS New Energies
Solaria gets grid connection approval for 450 MW solar park in Spain
The project will be built near the Trillo substation, in the Castilla–La Mancha region and represents around 15% of the 1.3 GW solar project pipeline the company hopes to deploy in Iberia by the end of 2023.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Grids, Spain, Europe, solaria
Akuo enlists crowdfunding partner for 17MWp floating project in France
Individuals can now bankroll the deployment of a large-scale floating solar plant in France, a project by Paris-headquartered Akuo Energy.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Floating PV, France, floating PV, Europe, akuo, Allianz Crowdlending
Netherlands to restrict grid linking requests to alleviate congestion
A controversial move by network operators has laid bare once more the Netherlands’ issues with grid overcrowding, with PV projects now set for connection delays in under-pressure areas.
Oct 3, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Grids, Europe, Netherlands, subsidies, dutch solar, holland solar, grid congestion, Liander, Enexis
Italy has 80 MW/168 MWh of storage linked to renewables
According to figures from Italian renewables body ANIE Rinnovabili, 18,036 storage systems coupled to clean energy power generation have been installed in the country. Most of the batteries are in Lombardy, whose administration offers rebates.
Oct 2, 2019 // Storage, storage, Italy, Europe, ANIE Rinnovabili
Forestalia, Solaria put forward colossal solar ventures in Spain
Spanish clean energy players have come forward in recent days with projects set to bring a major solar boost to Europe’s current market-of-the-moment.
Oct 2, 2019 // Plants, Large-Scale, Commercial, Grids, Spain, Europe, subsidy-free pv, solaria, Forestalia, aragon, castilla la mancha, Fernando Samper Rivas, David Guengant