Europe

UK-based energy group Octopus Energy has acquired its first solar PV portfolio of 142.8MW projects in Germany.

Italy generated record-breaking volumes of both solar PV and wind power in 2023, producing 30.6TWh and 23.4TWh of electricity, respectively.

PV Tech spoke with Jinko’s Victor Wei and Wally Zang, Senior IR Director and Technical Service Centre  General Manager respectively, about the company’s investment in TOPCon, its fully vertically integrated plant currently being built in China’s Shanxi province and how it is looking at module products for deployment in offshore solar projects subject to hail conditions.

A 3.2MW solar agrivoltaics (agriPV) project operated by German utility RWE for demonstration has started supplying electricity to the grid.

FP Lux Group has purchased a 114MWp portfolio of solar PV projects in Italy from German renewables developer PNE in the first investment of its FP Lux Energy Transition Fund.

Israel-headquartered solar inverter supplier SolarEdge has announced that it will lay off about 900 employees to reduce operating expenses.

Spanish photovoltaics developer Solaria has received construction authorisation to commence building its 595MW Garoña solar project in the province of Burgos, northern Spain.

The statement came on the same day that European solar manufacturing stalwart Meyer Burger announced plans to abandon its module assembly plant in Germany because of the lack of support afforded to manufacturers in Europe.

Corporate financing in the solar sector rose 42% in 2023 compared with 2022, according to Mercom Capital.

Switzerland-based institutional investment group SUSI Partners has secured funds for a 167MW renewables portfolio in Poland.