/3^rd April 2019, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Estonia is the second-largest emitter of CO2 per capita in the European Union and by far the most carbon-intensive economy among the OECD countries. The reason for that is oil shale, a sedimentary rock that has been mined in Estonia for electricity generation since the fifties and, since recently, has also been used for liquid diesel fuel production. Over 90 per cent of Estonia’s CO2 emissions come from burning oil shale for electricity, and oil shale contributes significantly to other pollution and waste levels in the country. The high concentrations of pollutants create health problems for local people: children living in the oil shale area have more respiratory diseases and are projected to live four years less on average. The country’s energy development plan 2030 commits to reducing the number of early deaths resulting from pollution by 50 per cent by 2030. With the rising CO2 prices, electricity production is getting very expensive and new renewable energy sources are taking over the market. Solar energy is booming in Estonia and is expected to intensify after 2020 due to near-zero energy buildings' requirements.

/BERLIN, October 18, 2021, 9:30 CET, EIT InnoEnergy, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Berlin is perhaps best known for the Berlin Wall, which physically divided the city between East and West Germany for 28 years, finally coming down in late 1989. Since German reunification in 1990, the decades that followed have been defined by re-building and innovating. Of course when we announced Berlin as the location of The Business Booster 2021 we had no way of knowing that the world, and the economy along with it, would come to a screeching halt with the corona virus. However as TBB 2021 will now serve as the meeting place for innovators and industry for the first time in many months, we could not be headed to a better and more symbolic place for the re-building of Europe’s economy through innovation and sustainability. 

/BERLIN, October 25, 2021, 9:30 CET, EIT InnoEnergy, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The pandemic we are currently in is driving a multitude of changes across the world. While, undoubtedly, many of the impacts have been devastating, there are some developments which bear great promise for the future. Interestingly enough, some of the most significant and positive of these changes happen right in front of us – in our cities, particularly large and densely populated urban areas. New trends are emerging that are pushing urban centres in Europe and around the globe to adopt exciting new models that put citizens and their life quality front and centre.

/LONDON, November 19, 2021, 10:00 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET  WATCH^TM/ Corporate renewable energy sourcing continues to boom across Europe. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) and on-site sourcing are set for another record year. With months to go, the volume of PPAs signed in 2021 has already surpassed the 3.5GW signed in 2020, making 2021 the eighth record year in a row. European Commercial and Industrial on-site installations are also enjoying rapid growth, with forecasts showing they could reach a total capacity of 407GW by 2030. The current sharp increase and volatility in energy prices are likely to support the corporate renewable PPAs demand in Europe. Many companies look to hedge against unpredictable energy prices, according to the Europe Corporate Renewable PPA Market Report 2021÷2030. This independent, 230+ page study of Renewable Market Watch™ analyzes the corporate renewable PPA market in 44 European countries.

/LONDON, August 8, 2022, 10:00 BST, RENEWABLE MARKET  WATCH^TM/ Corporate renewable energy sourcing continues to boom across Europe. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) and on-site sourcing are set for another record year. The European PPA market has proliferated, with almost a seven-fold increase from 2016 until 2021. European Commercial and Industrial on-site installations are also enjoying rapid growth, with forecasts showing they could reach a total capacity of 407GW by 2030. The current sharp increase and volatility in energy prices are likely to support the corporate renewable PPAs demand in Europe. Corporate PPAs may have an excellent contribution to solving Europe’s energy crisis. Many companies look to hedge against unpredictable energy prices, according to the Europe Corporate Renewable PPA Market Report 2022÷2031. This independent, 230+ page study of Renewable Market Watch™ analyzes the corporate renewable PPA market in 44 European countries.

/BRUSSELS, March 14, 2023, 15:00 GMT, European Commission, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Today, the Commission has proposed to reform the EU's electricity market design to accelerate a surge in renewables and the phase-out of gas, make consumer bills less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices, better protect consumers from future price spikes and potential market manipulation, and make the EU's industry clean and more competitive. The EU has had an efficient, well-integrated electricity market for over twenty years, allowing consumers to reap the economic benefits of a single energy market, ensuring the security of supply and stimulating the decarbonisation process.

/BRUSSELS, October 14, 2021, 17:00 CET, WindEurope, SolarPower Europe/ Renewables are central to delivering Europe’s energy and climate ambition – reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030. At RE-Source 2021 globally leading businesses from different sectors of the economy underline their commitment to support Europe’s transition to a renewable energy system. This year’s event comes just a day after the European Commission endorsed corporate renewable Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) as part of the answer to surging energy prices. The current price surge will only increase the demand for PPAs as businesses seek to hedge against volatile energy prices.

/BRUSSELS, November 24, 2022, 17:20 GMT, European Commission, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ EU energy ministers today agreed on the content of a Council regulation laying down a temporary framework to accelerate the permit-granting process and the deployment of renewable energy projects. The regulation will introduce urgent and targeted measures that address specific technologies and types of projects, which have the highest potential for quick deployment and the least impact on the environment.The new temporary will rules set maximum deadlines for granting permits for solar energy equipment, upgrading existing renewable power plants (repowering) and the deployment of heat pumps. In addition, they will introduce a presumption of overriding public interest for renewable energy projects.

/2^nd June 2020, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ With a land area of 93,028 km2, Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It measures about 250 km from north to south and 524 km from east to west. It has 2,106 km of boundaries, shared with Austria to the west, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia to the south and southwest, Romania to the southeast, Ukraine to the northeast, and Slovakia to the north. The country’s landscape is mostly flat. The population was 9.82 million, and the current gross domestic product (GDP) was $155.7 billion as of 2018, according to the Hungary Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook: 2020 ÷ 2030. Under Hungary’s National Energy Strategy up until 2030, Hungary will aim at ensuring the long-term security of energy supplies and increasing the share of renewable sources in its electricity generation mix, particularly solar photovoltaic, but also notes that fossil fuels, mainly natural gas, will be necessary for future generations. Hungary is ranked among top 10 countries by attractiveness for solar photovoltaic (PV) energy investments among CEE & SEE countries by Renewable Market Watch™ in their yearly updated "Attractiveness index for solar photovoltaic (PV) energy investments in CEE & SEE countries in 2020". The country’s main strategy to meet the growing need of power is to reduce the energy dependency by increasing energy efficiency, increased use of renewable resources and nuclear sources.

/BRUSSELS, July 19, 2023, 14:00 BST, European Commission, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ In their amendments to the draft legislation, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) propose to further strengthen consumer protection against volatile prices. The reform of the electricity market, to make it more stable, affordable and sustainable, received the support of the Energy Committee on Wednesday (July 19, 2023). Consumers should have the right to fixed-price contracts, dynamic price contracts, as well as more key information on the options they sign up to, banning suppliers from being able to unilaterally change the terms of a contract. The aim is to ensure that all consumers, as well as small businesses, would benefit from long-term, affordable and stable prices and to mitigate the impact of sudden price shocks. MEPs also advocate that EU countries prohibit suppliers from cutting the electricity supply of vulnerable customers, including during disputes between suppliers and customers, and prevent suppliers from requiring these customers to use prepayment systems.

/15^th May 2020, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Solar energy is the fastest-growing and lowest cost source globally. In Europe, solar capacity increased by 36 per cent to 8.5GW in 2018. However, 2019 was a huge success for the European solar PV market with a 104 per cent increase of newly installed solar PV capacity (16.7GW) compared to 2018 (8.5GW), according to the Europe Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook: 2020 ÷ 2030. Cumulative installed solar capacity in Europe reached 131.9GW by the end of 2019, which is 14 per cent increase compared to 115.2GW at the end of 2018. By the end of 2020, several member states in the European Union have to speed up to meet their 2020 renewable energy targets. Furthermore, Renewable Market Watch™ expects countries such as Spain, France, and Italy shall take their place at the GW-scale annual installation level. Most of the countries in Europe agree with the new 32% EU 2030 renewables target. The ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package gives the solar sector a solid policy framework that paves the way for much more versatile, low-cost solar investments in Europe. The European Green Deal is the new roadmap for making the EU's economy sustainable. This will happen by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all.

/30^th November 2020, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Solar energy is the fastest-growing and lowest cost source in the world. In Europe, solar capacity increased by 36 percent to 8.5GW in 2018. However, 2019 was a huge success for the European solar PV market with a 104 percent increase of newly installed solar PV capacity (16.7GW) compared to 2018 (8.5GW), according to the Europe Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook: 2020 ÷ 2030. Cumulative installed solar capacity in Europe reached 131.9GW by the end of 2019, which is a 14 percent increase compared to 115.2GW at the end of 2018. By the end of 2020, several member states in the European Union have to speed up to meet their 2020 renewable energy targets. Furthermore, Renewable Market Watch™ expects countries such as Spain, France, and Italy shall take their place at the GW-scale annual installation level. Most of the countries in Europe agree with the new 32% EU 2030 renewables target. The ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package gives the solar sector a solid policy framework that paves the way for much more versatile, low-cost solar investments in Europe. The European Green Deal is the new roadmap for making the EU's economy sustainable. This will happen by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all.

/7^th December 2020, Brussels/ Corporate Cumulative PPA capacities in Europe: So far, Europe has seen a cumulative 11.1 gigawatt (GW) of contracted renewable energy power purchase agreements (PPAs) by volume. That’s a significant increase compared to the 2.2 GW of cumulative PPA capacity in 2016. There is an increasing trend in PPAs signed in Europe annually (s. Figure 1) with a total of 145 PPAs signed in Europe to date. The demand for renewable energies spans across Europe with PPAs signed in as much as 13 different countries: Italy, Poland, France, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, the U.K., Spain, Sweden and Norway. In terms of project volume, 73% of renewable PPAs signed in Europe source electricity from wind energy.

/7^th December 2020, Brussels/ Corporate renewable electricity sourcing in Europe has shown continuous growth despite the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the resilience and potential of Europe’s renewable energy sector. In November 2020, the cumulative contracted volume of corporate renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Europe reached the 11 GW mark, up from just 2.2 GW by the end of 2016 and with a record 3 GW contracted in 2020 alone. This shows that more and more companies are stepping up to the challenge of reducing carbon emissions with renewable electricity, in line with the EU’s plans for a green economic recovery.

/BRUSSELS, October 1, 2021, 9:00 CET, WindEurope, SolarPower Europe/ Join us for RE-Source 2021. The RE-Source Event is the annual gathering of corporate buyers and clean energy suppliers, where existing challenges are tackled and future solutions are born. Join us to learn, share experiences and do business with companies in Europe. The 2021 event will take place in the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 14-15 October. Exclusive activities will also be available to corporate buyers on 13 October. Whether you’re an experienced buyer or seller or new to the market, this is the event for you. Be part of our growing community, get inspired, and succeed in powering your business with clean electricity.

/14^th November 2018, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The European solar photovoltaic (PV) market passed through a transition period in the past few years from feed-in tariffs dominated. It is changing to a subsidy-free market driven by tenders and corporate power purchase agreements. Solar PV project developments in Europe are becoming less and less dependent on state incentive programs. They benefit from falling solar PV equipment costs, grid parity in Southern parts of Europe and emerging electricity prices for households and businesses. In 2017 European solar photovoltaic (PV) market scored 25 % growth compared to 2016. The advantages of net metering and self-consumption solar PV projects have also been supporting this growth. With the positive growth expectations for the European solar market, it is quite interesting to see the current situation in Spain as one of the leading solar markets in Europe in the past decade.

/10^th May 2021, SolarPower Europe/ Join us for the second digital edition of the SolarPower Summit! The year 2021 is not just “any year”. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, European economies and industrial sectors have been under extreme pressure, and the lives of all Europeans have changed profoundly. The European Recovery Plan adopted by EU Member States in July 2020 aimed not only to mitigate the devastating impacts of the pandemic, but to seize a historic opportunity to revive our economies and industries, placing the fight against climate change at the heart of Europe’s future job creation and growth strategy. Renewable Market Watch™ is a Media Partner of SolarPower Summit 2021: Driving Sustainable Change.

/LONDON, December 15, 2021, 9:00 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ In partnership with eight other renewable energy and city associations, with the endorsement of scientists from the IPCC and leading universities, SolarPower Europe is calling on members of the European Parliament and EU Member States representatives to endorse a minimum 45% renewable target by 2030 to fight the climate crisis. The letter published on 8 December 2021 underlines the critical importance of accelerating the clean energy transition to avoid climate catastrophe.

/LONDON, June 9, 2021,  PRNewswire/ Nowadays, there is an increased demand for solar power all over Europe. The cumulative installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity in Europe reached 151.7GW at the end of 2020, which is а 10 per cent increase compared to 138GW at the end of 2019, according to the recently published study Europe Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook: 2021 ÷ 2030. Germany was the largest market in 2020, adding 4.8GW new capacity, followed by the Netherlands (2.8GW), Spain (2.6GW), Poland (2.2GW), and France (0.9GW). Amarenco, Axpo, BayWa r.e., Enel Green Power, Hanhwa Q-Cells, Huawei, Iberdrola, First Solar, Jinko, Lightsource bp, LONGi Solar and SMA, are among the key players in the market.

/LONDON, December 14, 2022, 09:00 GMT, PR Newswire/ The European corporate renewable PPA market has proliferated by an almost seven-fold increase from 2016 until 2021. EU energy ministers agreed at the end of November 2022 on the content of a Council Regulation for a temporary framework to accelerate the permit-granting process and the deployment of renewable energy projects. Reduction of permitting burden shall contribute to corporate PPAs, which are essential for the European Union (EU) to achieve energy independence and its REPowerEU targets. Many companies use corporate PPAs to hedge against unpredictable energy prices, reveals the recently published study Europe Corporate Renewable PPA Market Report 2023÷2032. Amazon, Google, Alcoa, Norsk Hydro, Bayer and Microsoft are among the key players in the market. The sharp increase and volatility in energy prices will likely support European corporate renewable PPAs demand.