Italy

ERM says it has launched offshore trials to test its Dolphyn Hydrogen process, while Southern California Gas (SoCalGas) and Evoloh have completed a joint research project on electrolyzer manufacturing process and anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer tech.

Researchers have simulated the operation of seven renewable energy communities in the Port of Naples and found them to offer lower life cycle costs. Using varying capacities of solar and wave energy, they were able to optimize the system to a 90% self-consumption rate. They also offered a scheme for the management of a port energy community.

Researchers in Italy have developed a low temperature a blanket-cover encapsulation technique that reportedly improves the stability of perovskite PV devices. They said the new technique reduces thermomechanical stresses caused by both the encapsulation process and the temperature gradients occurring during accelerated ageing stresses.

Researchers in Italy outlined a new model for estimating hydrogen production cost as a function of the plant’s component sizes. They tested both PV, wind, and hybrid production of hydrogen to determine the optimal size ratio for the 2030-2050 period. They also found that PV-powered hydrogen may currently achieve a levelized cost of hydrogen of €5.11/kg in Italy, with a PV ratio of 2.2.

Bluenergy is developing a 1.1 MW PV system on Udinese Calcio’s football stadium in Italy. The company said the project might include a 300 kW battery.

The “largest European thin-film solar cell manufacturing plant” will begin operation after receiving production certification. Midsummer executive Erik Olsson tells pv magazine Italy that production is expected to start after the summer, at a time of sharp increase in demand for thin-film photovoltaic cells from the commercial and industrial solar segment.

The Generali Group company has signed an agreement to acquire a minority share of Enel Libra Flexsys, which aims to roll out 1.7 GW of battery energy storage projects in Italy. “Revenues are fully contracted for 15 years through capacity agreements with Enel as well as capacity payments from Enel that are backed by Terna, Italy’s transmission system operator,” Sosteneo says.

In the apostolic letter “Brother Sun,” the pontiff announced the agrivoltaic system for the “complete energy sustenance” of the country. The plant will be built in the countryside of Rome’s 49th district.

After finding growth in its home market and Poland, Czech Republic-based Woltair raised venture capital to expand its heat pump and solar PV software platform, used by both installers and homeowners, into Germany and Italy.

Javier Izcue, vice president SG Europe at Sungrow, tells pv magazine that Italy will install 30 GW of batteries by 2030, but notes that the boom is not looming in the near term, as previously predicted.