Latest news

Europe’s energy plans start with what fits in your palm
European Court of Auditors

EU warned over shortfall in renewable energy raw materials

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Efforts to diversify imports, increase production and expand recycling are losing momentum within the EU, says the European Court of Auditors, which urges swift corrective action.
Not a drop wasted – Baywa r.e. has built a plant in Spain where the water is collected for later use on the fields.
Baywa r.e.

Studies confirm water benefits of agri-PV systems

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Solar installations can help preserve soil moisture and support the local water balance. Two studies back up these claims and show that farmers can actively manage water use with the right system design.
Sunlight, systems and strategy — Professor Malka on Albania’s PV promise
Malka/M.Gorgus

Lorenc Malka: “Albania is advancing electricity market liberalisation”

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In the third part of this interview, Professor Lorenc Malka discusses Albania’s energy‑market liberalisation, exploring solar investment, new incentives and the pressing shift from hydropower to solar as climate pressures intensify.
Thumbs up for the new solar plant in Italy
Skyworth PV

Skyworth PV advances with two 10 MW projects in Italy and France

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Skyworth PV is advancing a project in Ocre, Italy, into construction while progressing a Bordeaux scheme, as the company builds a European pipeline focused on distributed solar and local partnerships.
For Prof. Ilija Nasov, establishing trust through robust standards is fundamental to the energy transition
Solar Macedonia

Solar Macedonia president: “Quality standards are key to growth”

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Prof. Ilija Nasov explains how Solar Macedonia helps the growing solar sector overcome local challenges and align with European standards as it navigates the post-coal transition.
LONGi arrives on site, reflecting the continued build-out of rooftop PV capacity
LONGi

LONGi enters Tier 1 ranking as solar-storage integration takes hold

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Entry into BloombergNEF’s Tier 1 storage ranking signals growing C&I demand and stricter bankability criteria, including deployment in projects of at least 10 MW or 10 MWh over the past two years.
Energy professionals and investors meet in Zagreb to consider storage in the transition mix
Velka Botička

Croatia – €20 million plan backs solar, heat pumps and storage

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Croatia’s government announced new funding programmes for solar, heat pumps and battery storage as researchers unveiled a comprehensive study on battery storage locations at the SolarFlex conference in Zagreb.
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Latest videos

Franz-Josef Feilmeier (left) of Fenecon in our CEO Talk 2025.
Vorsatz Media

Fenecon – innovations driving C&I storage

Leonard Friese (right) of Tesvolt presents the new Forton storage system
Vorsatz Media

Smarter, tougher, outdoors – Tesvolt’s latest storage container

This tiny device from Solar Manager greatly simplifies the management of energy flows in buildings.
Vorsatz Media

Solar Manager – making complex systems easy

More videos

PV on Tour PV Guided Tours


 

markets

Joshua Murphy, head of energy storage at Econergy
Econergy

Joshua Murphy: “Germany offers battery revenues, but CEE is building the pipeline”

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In this interview, Econergy International outlines its storage strategy and discusses the technical, financial and regulatory conditions shaping large-scale deployment across Europe.
Ronan Power heads the industry association Solar Ireland
Solar Ireland

Ronan Power: “The outlook for Irish solar is very positive”

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Solar Ireland CEO Ronan Power discusses the drivers behind Ireland’s rapid residential and utility-scale PV growth, highlighting strong market momentum, policy support and the next steps for sector integration.
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financing

Solar and storage tenders remain a small segment of overall auction volumes
SolarPower Europe

SolarPower Europe calls for stronger auctions and PPAs to drive electrification

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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.
613 kW of rooftop solar for Spanish food producer Embutidos y Jamones Ezequiel against a backdrop of rising electricity prices
Kostal

EIF channels €62 million into SME-driven green credit vehicle

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The EU Investment Fund is expanding access to transition finance for SMEs and mid-sized companies through a Qualitas Energy credit fund supported by Spain’s Resilience Facility and NextGenerationEU.
More about financing

hybrid generators

From waterway to energy exchange – Schoonschip trades on the day-ahead market
Isabel Nabuurs

NL – Schoonschip floats new approach to virtual power plants

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The floating neighbourhood of Schoonschip shows how households can pool solar, batteries and heat pumps, transforming a community into a flexible, market-ready virtual power plant in Amsterdam’s waterways.
Visualisation only, but the real-world physics of hybrid renewable energy is equally dramatic
Solar Promotion

Hybrid PV and finance models take centre stage at Intersolar Europe

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Hybrid power plants combining PV with wind and battery storage are gaining ground across Europe and will feature prominently at the industry gathering in Munich from 23 to 25 June.
More about hybrid generators

inverter

Under the vast Australian skies – the inverter station at the Aldoga solar farm in Queensland
Ingeteam / Carlos Lezana

Spanish firm Ingeteam steps up down under with 480 MW Aldoga plant

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The Basque technology company has equipped the Aldoga solar farm in the Australian state of Queensland with central inverters and control systems, consolidating its footprint in the country’s utility-scale solar market.
Ingecon Sun B series central inverters at the facility in the California desert
Ingeteam

Ingeteam delivers 250 MW solar repowering in California

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More than 250 Ingecon Sun B series inverters have been installed as part of the repowering, with the plant generating clean power for approximately 60,000 households.
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mounting

Floating-PV is a trend in project business.
O&L Nexentury

Solar Investors Guide #4 – Mounting on tricky terrain

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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.
Solar pioneer Ludwig Schletter of SL Rack presents off new mounting systems at the trade show in Rimini
Hans-Christoph Neidlein

KEY 2026 – next-generation mounting systems target faster, more stable installs

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Speed and stability dominated mounting innovation at KEY 2026 in Rimini, with SL Rack presenting updated roof tile and clamp systems alongside its Agri Wall and tracker, while Antaisolar introduced its modular AT-Spark tracker.
More about mounting

What is photovoltaics?

Photovoltaics (PV) refers to the generation of electrical energy from sunlight. At the heart of this process are the solar-active semiconductors known as solar cells, which capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity.

From a technical standpoint, a PV system or solar installation functions as a generator. Here, individual solar cells are combined into a solar module, which is protected from the elements. These modules are then assembled into a larger solar generator, which can be mounted on rooftops, façades, open ground or specially designed structures. The electricity generated is direct current (DC), which is converted into alternating current (AC) by an inverter. This AC power can be used directly on site or fed into the public grid via the building’s connection. The electricity is typically supplied to the local utility or grid operator.

Larger PV systems installed on open land are often called solar parks. These feed power into the grid via dedicated transformers and switchgear. In many countries special Acts and regulations govern remuneration for solar power, whether via feed-in tariffs or market premiums for direct sales to third parties.

Self-consumption can be increased by using solar power for heating water, room heating, air conditioning or refrigeration. Battery storage systems help by storing surplus solar electricity for later use. These so-called solar batteries improve system reliability, especially when solar output dips.

Not all incoming sunlight is converted into electricity. The conversion rate depends on the intensity and wavelength of the incoming light spectrum. This ratio between usable electrical output and the maximum available solar radiation is known as efficiency.

The performance of a solar generator or storage system is defined by its output. When multiplied by the number of sunshine hours, this gives the solar yield – the amount of electricity generated per day, month or year. In addition to charging and discharging power, solar batteries are also rated by their capacity, or the amount of energy they can store. Power is measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW), while energy and yield are expressed in kilowatt-hours (kWh) or megawatt-hours (MWh). (HS)