Veselin Todorov, Chairman and Founder of Solar Academy Bulgaria, shares his perspective on the development of photovoltaics and energy storage in Bulgaria, the challenges facing the sector and the opportunities ahead.

Investing in solar parks, expansive rooftop systems and cutting-edge battery storage requires patience and a genuinely long-term outlook. Such projects are generally designed to run for twenty years or more, making it crucial to safeguard them against a broad spectrum of risks over their lifespan – an important issue that is still too often neglected.

Market volatility and price cannibalisation are accelerating flexibility purchase agreements, while long-term PPAs are losing ground, according to Pexapark.

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.

March data of sun.store confirm that demand for solar components across the European PV market remained strong. Most module categories saw month-on-month price increases of four to six percent, while back-contact modules rose by ten percent.

Operators across Europe are managing increasingly complex portfolios of renewables, storage and flexible demand. The challenge is no longer capacity, but how effectively these assets are orchestrated, says Remi Ramcharan of Senkron Digital.

EU policy must integrate security, competitiveness and social impact considerations alongside climate targets, says state-backed energy group Tauron Polska Energia, reflecting country-level realities and system stability needs.

The Greek Environment and Energy Ministry plans to revive auction-based support for renewables, with wind and solar auctions set to return after a gap of more than three years.

Ownership of the Mineo solar plant in Sicily has passed to Sosteneo, with revenues secured through a FERX contract for difference.

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.

The Kvosted project in Viborg Municipality now links on-site battery storage with solar generation, balancing Denmark’s grid and supplying renewable energy to around 18,000 households. Further co-located projects are in preparation.

Europe is generating more renewable energy than ever, yet a widening gap between production and consumption is pushing imbalance costs across the entire system. The solution to this challenge may lie right above us, says Chris Bernkopf, founder of Podero.

SolarEdge debuts three-phase Nexis for residential storage, Sigenergy targets solar parks with a new inverter, Kostal rolls out Solar 4me, and Hithium introduces modular Power Flex to ease BESS transport. These are this week’s new products.

CEO Talk: Demand for mounting technology shows a mixed picture. Private customers remain cautious, while commercial roofs and solar parks continue to grow. Throughout, cost pressures remain high. How can suppliers respond? Ludwig Schletter, CEO of SL Rack, puts forward his case.

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.