Europe

The Italian government has banned solar PV installations on agricultural land in a move that the nation’s solar trade association said would cost Italy €60 billion (US$64.5 billion).

Finnish energy company Ilmatar plans to build a 450MW solar PV project in the county of Halland, southwest Sweden.

Danish solar developer Nordic Solar has powered a 100MW PV plant in Lithuania, the country’s largest operational solar project.

Italian solar manufacturing machinery producer Ecoprogetti has installed a new, 250MW automated production line at a facility in Bulgaria.

Future heterojunction technology (HJT) solar cells may require significantly less silver to produce, according to findings from researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE).

Renewables asset owner Brookfield Renewable has signed an energy framework agreement with tech giant Microsoft that would bring over 10.5GW of capacity.

Germany has granted approval to 2.2GW of ground-mounted solar projects in its latest round of auctions, up from 1.6GW in the previous round.

The company's CEO Detlef Neuhaus said operating production in Germany was extremely difficult economically.

Swedish solar manufacturer Midsummer has selected the municipality of Flen in central Sweden to build a 200MW thin-film solar cell facility.

Solar developer Lightsource bp has secured €315.34 million (US$337.5 million) for a 560MWp solar PV project in Greece.