Legal

Israel’s planning administration has approved the terms for deploying up to 16 MWh of storage facilities. The government said that due to the Gaza conflict, storage has become ever more important for emergencies.

The Italian Council of State has issued new rules to address a number of regulatory gaps, according to lawyer Andrea Sticchi Damiani, who recently won two cases related to agrivoltaic projects. In both instances, the council confirmed that agrivoltaic facilities are distinct from conventional ground-mounted PV plants.

The Romanian president has passed a new law to shorten the permitting process for solar projects installed on less than 50 hectares of buildable land.

Maxeon Solar Technologies has filed a lawsuit against Tongwei Solar in Germany’s Dusseldorf district court for the alleged infringement of its European patent for shingled solar cell technology.

The Serbian authorities have launched the nation’s first renewable energy auction, with 50 MW of PV and 400 MW of wind power. The projects will be supported through contracts for difference for 15 years.

German police have detained an executive from a Chinese solar company, the day before the start of the Intersolar Europe trade show this week in Munich, according to Chinese media reports.

The Gothenburg district court in Sweden has charged eight people for allegedly stealing nearly $416,000 of air source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, white goods and tools from multiple locations in the western part of the country.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a new report that solar will remain the main source of global renewable capacity expansion in 2023, accounting for 286 GW. In 2024, the figure is set to grow to almost 310 GW, driven by lower module prices, greater uptake of distributed PV systems, and a policy push for large-scale deployment.

PV Cycle has published a position paper stating that PV panels do not fit with the European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive. It is calling for the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation for all renewable energy products and equipment in the European Union.

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) are growing in popularity in Poland due to high energy prices and the declining appeal of renewable energy auctions. Nevertheless, regulatory changes have created uncertainty and reduced attractiveness.