H&M’s solar park investments, Ecokraft’s prefabricated industrial rooftop systems, and Region Kalmar’s car park canopy at Oskarshamn Hospital have won Svensk Solenergi’s 2026 award.

Podcast (German): Valuable agricultural land can serve two purposes: as pasture or arable land and for generating clean solar power. Stephan Schindele, head of the agri-PV business unit at BayWa r.e., explains the advantages these systems offer farmers, and where the pitfalls lie.

PV Guided Tours: From the roof and façade to the carport – if you want to harness every part of your building for solar energy, GoodWe has a solution. Barbara Terreni, Senior Technical Solution Manager Europe at the PV Building Materials Division, explains how to turn your building into a solar power plant.

The proposal targets small-scale solar operators, aiming to steer feed-in through price signals and accommodate more distributed generation without increasing pressure on networks.

The manager at the solar and storage technology company argues that the era of stand-alone PV systems is over, as storage and energy management now drive installations. And he has solid reasons to be optimistic for 2026.

After a period of tight supply and rising prices, the market is loosening. Yet geopolitical shifts may still impact module and battery pricing, according to Gerard Scheper of European Solar.

A new EU action plan targets fossil fuel costs and faster clean energy rollout, as industry calls for rapid expansion of battery storage to strengthen system resilience and competitiveness.

Public auctions and corporate PPAs delivered 92 GW of solar capacity in the EU between the 2022 energy crisis and 2025. Now, the Brussels-based trade body is urging stronger use of these tools to reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports.

The Island Decarbonisation Fund is due to launch in the coming months, with European Investment Bank approval of the investment plan by June clearing the way for first project financing.

The Renewables 24/7 exhibit in Munich brings together case studies, live demonstrations and analysis, including new Fraunhofer ISE findings on maintaining secure electricity systems around the clock and at scale.

European Energy has secured approval for a 28 MW battery with 112 MWh capacity, with Twig appointed to manage balancing responsibilities across both solar and storage.

New rules restrict access to funding for projects using solar and battery inverters from high-risk vendors, reflecting growing concern over cybersecurity and control of critical energy infrastructure.

Podcast: Cybersecurity is a critical issue for inverters and solar storage. Uri Sadot, Cybersecurity Programme Director at SolarEdge and Chair of Digitalisation at SolarPower Europe, outlines system vulnerabilities, recent incidents and the urgent need for preventive action. He warns: caution blocks criminal access, while hesitation invites costly failures and grid disruptions.

PV Guided Tours: Solar canopies for vines, fruit and berry plantations serve to protect growing fruit from harsh weather and environmental conditions. In most cases, however, the grapevines, the bushes and trees are already firmly rooted in the ground. Mo Horowitz, COO of Solargik, shows how this can be achieved without interrupting agricultural operations – even on slopes.

Roofs and flat open spaces aren't the only options for solar power. Applications that pose particular challenges for project planning and installation technology are increasingly coming into focus.