Europe solar PV news snippets: Low Carbon plans 500 MW solar & storage Park in the UK & more. IEA PVPS study offers roadmap for renewable mini-grids; Q ENERGY commissions 11 MW Chênet Solar Farm in France; Fortis Energy & Schletter Group sign 300 MW solar-storage deal; Energiequelle sells French subsidiary to H2air; VALOREM secures €220 million asset refinancing. Low Carbon plans to develop a 500 MW solar and battery energy project in West Oxfordshire, UK. Published on: Sep 26, 2026, 9:45 pm Low Carbon develops 500 MW Oxfordshire solar project. UK renewable energy company Low Carbon has announced plans to develop the 500 MW West Oxfordshire Energy Park in the UK. The proposed solar PV project will be paired with a battery energy storage system (BESS), it added. The project is in the early stages of development and is planned to be located near Langford and Little Faringdon in West Oxfordshire. The project could generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of about 145,000 UK homes, according to Low Carbon. The company is currently conducting environmental and technical assessments and engaging with local councils and other stakeholders. With a proposed capacity above 100 MW, the project will be classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) and will require a Development Consent Order. Since July 24, 2026, Britain has lowered approval process for major infrastructure projects (see Britain Cuts NSIP Planning Process By Up To 12 Months). IEA PVPS study examines 11 island energy systems across the globe to examine the success factors for islands to transition towards higher share of renewable energy systems. IEA PVPS highlights Success Factors for island renewables. The IEA PVPS has published a report examining the factors that enable islands to transition successfully to electricity systems with high shares of renewable energy. Based on 11 real-world island case studies, the report identifies 111 success factors, including 13 that apply across different island contexts. The cases cover settings ranging from small, remote communities to larger, densely populated islands with complex energy systems. They include Kodiak Island in the US, Yakushima in Japan, El Hierro and La Graciosa in Spain, Samsø and Lolland in Denmark, Sint Eustatius in the Caribbean Netherlands, King Island in Australia, Tokelau in New Zealand, Koh Jik in Thailand and Apolima in Samoa. Nearly half of the identified success factors relate to the preparation phase, including community engagement, resource and grid assessments, political alignment, financing and technical feasibility studies. The report also highlights sustained stakeholder engagement and strong local leadership as common factors across successful projects. Long-term planning and grid strengthening help integrate variable renewable energy, while supportive policies, financing and governance structures enable implementation. IEA PVPS says the findings are intended to help island stakeholders design, implement and sustain resilient renewable energy mini-grids. The report titled Success Factors for Renewable Island Mini-Grids is available for free download on IEA PVPS website. Q ENERGY has inaugurated an 11 MW solar farm on a former quarry in France that combines PV generation with sheep grazing. Former quarry converted into 11 MW Solar Farm. Q ENERGY has inaugurated the 11 MW Chênet Solar Farm in the French municipalities of Sapignicourt and Hauteville in the Marne department. The project was built on a former sand and gravel quarry that operated from 1992 to 2009. The solar farm comprises nearly 18,000 solar PV panels across 7.8 hectares. Q ENERGY said that the site also supports sheep grazing beneath the solar panels, combining renewable energy generation with livestock farming. Fortis Energy has partnered with Schletter Group on more than 300 MW of utility-scale solar-plus-storage projects in Europe. Fortis Energy, Schletter partner on 300 MW projects. Europe-focused Fortis Energy has signed an agreement with German solar mounting systems manufacturer Schletter Group covering more than 300 MW of utility-scale solar-plus-storage projects in Europe. Fortis Energy plans to commission the projects in 2027. Fortis Energy says these projects represent a significant part of its near-term European pipeline. Fortis Energy develops and invests in solar, wind and battery storage projects under its Green Baseload strategy. The agreement is one of several supply and services partnerships being finalized for the company's 2027 construction cycle. It said the cooperation with Schletter is expected to extend to more of Fortis projects. H2air has acquired Energiequelle's French subsidiary and its approximately 500 MW wind and solar portfolio. H2air acquires Energiequelle's French subsidiary. German renewable energy developer Energiequelle GmbH has sold its French subsidiary, Energiequelle SAS, to French renewable energy developer and operator H2air. The transaction includes all employees of the French unit and a wind and solar project portfolio totaling about 500 MW. The portfolio includes 60 MW of operational projects, along with projects at an advanced pre-construction stage. Energiequelle said the sale is part of its strategic realignment to focus resources on defined core markets. The acquisition enables H2air to expand its presence in France. VALOREM finalizes €220 million refinancing. French renewable energy company VALOREM Group has finalized a €220 million refinancing transaction covering 192 MW of renewable energy assets in France. This covers a portfolio of 15 renewable energy projects known as ATLAS, comprising eight wind and six operational solar PV stations, along with an energy storage project. VALOREM said the transaction is part of the group's financing strategy and includes projects across its French portfolio. Alongside the refinancing, VALOREM has announced the launch of around €250 million corporate debt.

'John O' Groat Journal do have significant concerns': RSPB considers newly submitted plans for Forsinain Forest wind farm next to nature reserve. Published: 15:54, 31 August 2026 "Significant concerns" have been raised over a proposed new wind farm that would border the internationally recognised Flow Country World Heritage Site. Renewable energy firm Low Carbon has submitted an application to the Scottish Government for permission to build 12 turbines and a substation on land between Melvich and Forsinard. The Forsinain Forest Wind Farm is an 86 megawatt scheme proposed for land three kilometres north of Forsinard and 16 kilometres south of Melvich. The company behind the plans says that the site "sits predominantly within non-native commercial forestry and fully outwith the Flow Country Unesco World Heritage Site". It has also promised to incorporate "forest-to-bog restoration" which would help to restore peatland habitats and support long-term carbon sequestration alongside renewable energy generation. But the RSPB, which manages its Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve on neighbouring land, is concerned about the impact of the wind farm on wildlife and nature. The Flow Country was given Unesco World Heritage Site status for its globally important peatlands in July 2024 and Highland Council this year agreed to enhance protections of the full extent of the site to protect its Outstanding Universal Value - a standard that Unesco uses to assess future compatibility with World Heritage status. A spokesperson for the RSPB said: "RSPB Scotland is supportive of renewable energy, but all development, including wind farms, must be carefully sited to avoid adverse effects on wildlife and protected sites for nature. "John O' Groat Journal has just been consulted on the full application for Forsinain Forest Wind Farm and will be carefully considering the proposed development. "However, we do have significant concerns over a wind farm at this very sensitive location for nature, [close to] the heart of the Flow Country Unesco World Heritage Site, adjacent to nationally and internationally protected sites for nature and RSPB's Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve." Low Carbon's plans include associated infrastructure, including new and upgraded access tracks, a substation, and on-site construction facilities. Its 12-turbine Forsinain Forest wind farm would be expected to generate around 318,000 MWh of electricity per year, which it says would be enough to power more than 98,000 UK homes. The turbines would be up to 219 metres high. The wind farm developer is also proposing a community benefit fund of £5000 per MW, equivalent to approximately £432,000 per year. It also says that an estimated £1 million per year would be paid in business rates to Highland Council. Andy Sloan, project development director at Low Carbon, said: "Forsinain Forest is a key part of its growing pipeline of onshore wind in Scotland, which if approved, will support Scottish climate targets, help accelerate the UK's transition to clean energy and bolster energy security by reducing its reliance on fossil fuels. "By combining clean energy generation with nature restoration and long-term community benefit, Forsinain Forest can help to deliver lasting economic value for the communities that host it." The Flow Country Partnership, which works to protect, restore and enrich the peatland habitat, has also been approached for comment.

Wind farm planned close to Flow Country World Heritage Site. Fri, August 28, 2026 at 8:30 AM PDT Plans for up to 12 wind turbines near the Flow Country World Heritage Site in the Highlands have been submitted to the Scottish government. Low Carbon said its Forsinain Forest Wind Farm, proposed for land 2 miles (3km) north of Forsinard, would be "fully outwith" the Unesco-designated site. It said the project include proposals to restore 383 acres of non-native forest to peatbog. The world heritage site covers almost 469,500 acres of one of the most intact and extensive blanket bog systems in the world. Unesco status was achieved for the Flow Country, which includes parts of Caithness and Sutherland, in July 2024 after an almost 40-year campaign. Low Carbon had planned up to 19 turbines but reduced the number during a series of "design refinements". The company said the project could generate enough electricity to power more than 98,000 homes each year. It added that a community benefit fund associated with the wind farm could be worth about £432,000 per year, and the project could provide an estimated £1m annually in business rates for Highland Council. Andy Sloan, project development director at Low Carbon, said: "Forsinain Forest is a key part of our growing pipeline of onshore wind in Scotland, which if approved, will support Scottish climate targets, help accelerate the UK's transition to clean energy and bolster energy security by reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. "By combining clean energy generation with nature restoration and long-term community benefit, Forsinain Forest can help to deliver lasting economic value for the communities that host it." 'Significant concerns' The Flow Country's rare blanket bog ecosystem supports a range of notable species including a host of sphagnum mosses and other wetland plants. There are all sorts of insects and a host of rare birds including greenshank, golden plover, dunlin and hen harrier. The Flow Country Partnership has been contacted for comment. RSPB Scotland, which manages a reserve at Forsinard, said it was supportive of "carefully sited" renewable energy schemes. A spokesperson said: "We have just been consulted on the full application for Forsinain Forest Wind Farm and will be carefully considering the proposed development. "However, we do have significant concerns over a wind farm at this very sensitive location for nature, in the heart of The Flow Country Unesco World Heritage Site, adjacent to nationally and internationally protected sites for nature and RSPB's Forsinard Flows Nature Reserve."