germany

New research predicts the energy storage market in Germany will increase 11-fold in the next five years, with the residential market buoyed by declining feed-in tariffs, high electricity prices and €30 million in subsidies, while the primary reserve market boosts activity within the utilities sector.

In this week's Movers & Shakers segment, PV Tech examines new US solar employment initiatives, new up-and-coming technology and industry policy debates as well as career moves by influential individuals.

The solar segment is not short of new hires and comings and goings, with solar industry stakeholders responding to the shifts in a dynamic global market. In our inaugural Movers & Shakers segment, PV Tech attempts to bring the industry back to its roots and rounds up key career moves of the last fortnight.

New French tenders announced last week could see the country become the largest single source of solar end demand in Europe.

German PV company IBC Solar has partnered with DHYBRID Power Systems to capitalise on their respective competencies in order to emerge as a market-leading provider of diesel-PV hybrid systems.

Austria-headquartered PV O&M company ENcome has acquired abakus solar, a German PV wholesale business that specialises in project development, EPC and O&M, for an undisclosed amount.

Germany has released draft proposals on its Renewable Energies Act (EEG) to cap onshore wind and PV in response to states rallying for renewable energy growth to be curbed due to rising electricity prices and unnecessary strain on the national grid.

Germany’s ‘big four’ utilities have all referred to the growing importance of renewable energy in their business models in reporting their latest financial results.

Germany’s renewable energy trade associations have spoken up collectively about their country’s plans to introduce tenders to award rights for new large-scale projects.

Grid curtailment of solar power is already affecting Germany and China despite billions being spent on grid projects. With a target of 100GW, India is hoping to get 8% of its power requirements from solar PV by 2022, which is a higher penetration than both Germany and China today. Jasmeet Khurana, associate director, consulting, Bridge to India, investigates the potential for future curtailment of solar power in India and its consequences while identifying which states might be most affected.