The first half of 2025 was a big moment for solar in Southern Europe, caught between the push for clean energy and some unexpected drama. In April, a massive blackout in Spain really showed the limits of just piling on solar panels. That blackout changed everything. Spain’s government quickly shifted gears: within two months, they green lit over 65 GW of new solar projects, but now with mandatory energy storage. Down south, they’re testing out battery storage, green hydrogen, and even molten salt storage, all aiming to build what they’re calling an "infinite energy" grid.
Meanwhile, Italy’s rewriting the rules with its "agrivoltaics" revolution. The government dropped €1 billion to push solar projects that also work for farming. Vertical, adjustable mounts that let crops get enough sun while leaving space for tractors and harvesters. Thanks to this, Italy added 3.34 GW of solar in early 2025—and 70% of that came from commercial and industrial projects. Agrivoltaics is now their growth engine.
New EU Rules Shake Up Local Competition
The EU Net Zero Industry Act requires that 30% of photovoltaic equipment be manufactured locally, which is changing the market rules. Austria took the lead in responding, announcing a subsidy of up to 20% for solar storage systems made in Europe; Italy's PNRR 2 plan followed closely, opening up special subsidies to local product developers. Although this trend has intensified cost competition, it has also spawned scenario-based innovations such as lightweight components and wind-resistant brackets. For example, in response to the strong wind and sand environment in southern Europe, the demand for glass-free lightweight components (weighing only 4.7kg/㎡) has surged.
Racking Up New Challenges
Increasing demand for tracking racks: Large power stations tend to use single-axis trackers to improve power generation efficiency;
Customization of industrial photovoltaic racks: Italy's vertical solar mount system needs to take into account both crop lighting and component stability;
Lightweight and wind and sand resistance design: Southern Europe's wind and sand frequent areas have increased requirements for component weight reduction (such as lightweight racks) and corrosion resistance.
For the rest of 2025, Southern Europe’s solar scene has three big themes:
1. Storage Goes Standard: Spain’s pushing hard on solar+storage projects and hydrogen trials. Italy’s using its sky-high power prices (the highest in Europe!) to make commercial storage projects pay off.
2. Grids Get Smarter: That Spanish blackout scared everyone—now countries are rushing to upgrade grid flexibility. Tech like virtual power plants and distributed energy management is suddenly in demand.
3. Cross-Border Power Deals: Countries like Greece and Bulgaria are signing international power deals (PPAs) to smooth out wild price swings caused by too much solar flooding local markets
Southern Europe's energy transformation has entered the "photovoltaic + energy storage + smart grid" three-way drive stage. WOCHN will continue to follow up on scenario-based solutions such as high-resistance wind and sand tracking brackets and agricultural photovoltaic complementary structures, and work with partners to build a support system that adapts to the terrain and policy environment of Southern Europe, and jointly explore a new blue ocean of photovoltaic and energy storage integration.
