Europe

Cox Energy of Spain has won a reverse power auction in Guatemala, securing 38.41 MW of solar generation to invest USD 32 million and supply 106.0 GWh annually for 15 years. PEG plan received bids for 1,500 MW.

Solar installations to reach historic high in 2023 with 270 GW of new capacity. China to remain leader in panel manufacturing while US sees boom in utility & residential solar. UK to lead in residential solar, Romania in distributed projects. Solar LCOE falling; 330 GW capacity by 2032.

Floating Solar Panels are revolutionizing renewable energy in Europe, with Baywa r.e. leading the way. Governments, businesses, and utilities now offer subsidies to promote floatovoltaics, providing benefits such as sidestepping land disputes and improving water quality. Projects in Austria and Germany are generating enough energy to power thousands of homes. With red tape and environmental assessments now in place, installation is becoming faster and easier.

Solar energy is expected to reach record levels this summer in Europe, but the EU must take steps to ensure photovoltaic investment and prevent solar power curtailment. Suggested measures include accelerating permitting on electric grids, promoting hybrid projects and cost-sharing by fossil generators.

RWE and PPC invest in 280 MW solar park in Greece. Project expected to provide clean energy to region by the end of 2021 with PPC purchasing the entire output in 15 year PPA. Partially funded by the Greek RRF and 3 local banks with shareholders' equity. Part of 2 GW of large-scale solar projects.

REVKOR and H2GEMINI partner to construct a 5GW solar cell and module production facility, beginning production in Q2 2024. The project will utilize HJT/Perovskite technologies and mark a milestone for renewable energy.

DTEK Renewables have successfully restored the Niko Solar power plant in the Mykolaiv region of Ukraine, despite heavy damage from Russian shelling. They also restored the Trifonivskaya solar plant to 100% capacity within a few weeks. Oleksandr Selishchev, CEO of DTEK Renewables, is committed to providing energy supply and security for the region.

Enel Green Power Romania has successfully powered up its 63-MW Lumina solar park in Romania. Expected to generate 99 GWh of energy annually, the facility is also connected to the high-voltage grid of the concessionaire. Additionally, Greek companies PPC SA and Mytilineos SA are investing to further the growth of renewable energy in Romania.

Pad Res, an innovative Polish developer, is set to construct two 117MW solar photovoltaic farms in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. Kajima Europe and Griffin Capital Partners acquired majority shares in Pad Res to drive their renewable energy portfolio to 500MW. Electrum Holding is the general contractor for the project, which marks a major shift in Poland's green transformation.

RWE and PPC joint venture Meton Energy have made the final investment decision to build 3 solar projects totalling 259MW in northern Greece. Construction set to start in autumn 2021, with projects due to be operational by 2024. €196m investment provided by EU funds, finance from Alpha Bank, Eurobank & NBG, plus €39m in equity. Meton Energy & RWE developing solar farms with capacity up to 2GW in Greece.

Pathfinder Clean Energy plans to build a 45.48-hectare solar farm outside the village of Paulton in Somerset. Generating 26 megawatts of power, it will provide 10% of the 300MW needed to reach net zero in Bath and North East Somerset. Grazing sheep are welcome under the solar panels, and battery storage will store energy for peak times. A planning application is yet to be submitted.

Explore Hybridkraft: a project funded by the German government to combine solar thermal & photovoltaics. Harness 1 megawatt solar-powered heater to increase efficiency & reduce energy costs for industrial applications.

This research breakthrough makes it possible to develop water-stable perovskites for perovskite solar cells. An innovative additivization strategy was used to achieve this, with the lowest formation energy for a 3C phase with exceptional stability against water infiltration, humidity and thermal stresses. A game-changer for solar cells!

First Solar and Matrix Renewables have come together to deliver 2.1 GW of advanced thin film modules to power projects in the US and Spain. First Solar's technology is low-carbon and EPEAT-approved, with US and India factory expansions along with framework agreement with Energix Renewables. Responsibly powering the future!

A French-Egyptian consortium is exploring the potential of building two solar energy plants to serve Egypt's metal and aluminum industry. Orascom Construction PLC and Engie met with Egypt's public business sector minister to discuss the renewable energy projects, which could further the country's renewable energy goals.