Black Sea and European lenders have loaned €19.1 million each to a 57 MW solar plant in southern Ukraine, as the country scrambles to renew its electricity sector. The EBRD is committed to lending €250 million to renewables projects in Ukraine to help the country to meet its 11% clean energy target for 2020.

The Energy Storage Europe conference is nearing and pv magazine is featuring the top ten developments in the field as our Energy Storage Highlights, selected by an independent jury of experts. Having kicked off with a hydrogen fuel cell based approach to self-sufficient living in Switzerland, we continue our ranking with DNV GL’s bid to map the vast battery storage landscape, helping buyers make decisions.

France is set to have a near-3 GW annual solar market for the next six years from tenders alone and energy giant EDF wants a 30% piece of the action. To do so, the utility has entered negotiations with Luxel shareholders to acquire the PV developer.

Despite solar’s explosive growth, the bloc is unlikely to meet its 20% clean energy target. Transport in particular remains a drag, with slow adoption rates for alternative fuels. Wind power supplanted hydro as Europe’s largest renewable electricity source.

The Norwegian renewable energy company cited rising prices, cost reduction plans and lucrative transactions as the main reason for its positive update. The average Nordic energy price in the quarter was €47.7/MWh, an increase of 56% from the same period a year earlier.

The Energy Storage Europe conference and trade show is nearing and pv magazine is featuring the top ten developments in the field as our Energy Storage Highlights, selected by an independent jury of experts. We kick off with Proton Motor’s contribution to a Swiss project that enables apartment tenants to live without a gas or electricity grid connection.

The region’s largest rooftop solar system has been mounted on a plastics factory in Lithuania. The 1.4 MW site’s inauguration was attended by 100 high-level guests from the nation’s business community.

World Bank sister organization the IFC has made a $75 million commitment to a green bond recently issued by Philippines based developer AC Energy. Vietnam’s sub-standard financial sector performance has prompted the Asian Development Bank to suggest green bonds could best leverage the country’s renewable energy targets.

Backing for renewable energy assets is set to rise 10% with grid-scale PV the most attractive opportunity among investors surveyed for a new report. But improved investment vehicles and outsourced asset management are still needed if climate change is to be mitigated.

NESF and Zestec have joined forces for the development of a commercial portfolio in the U.K. NESF provides the capital, which will be refinanced through the proprietary PPA model by Zestec.