Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1547166
4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 18 OCTOBER 2026 NEWS ADELGA Limited. Tiddikjara l-intenzjoni taghha biex il-kumpanija rregistra thl-Licenzja tal-Agenzija, skont ar klu 23, l-A dwar l-impjiegi u servizzi ta'tahrig, (ActXXVIII tal-1990). L-a vitajiet propos jinkludu: 1. L-Intervis , l-ghazla u t-tqeghid ta' kandida fix-xoghol. 2. L-ingaggar ta' persuni barra min Malta, jew f'Malta impjega biex jahdmu f'Malta 3. Ir-reklamar biex jintelew irwolijiet vakan . 4. Li tghaqqad kandida potenzjali mal-klijen . 5. Li tagixxi bhala fornitur ta'par terza ghall-klijen , 6. Li zzomm registru ta'applican ghall-impjieg fil-futur. Indirizz Ufficjali Registrat: Office no.1 & Garage no.2 Garcia Apratments, Triq it-Tamar c/w Triq Garcia De Toledo Qawra, San Pawl Il-Bahar, Malta Numru tal-kumpanija registrata : C93021 The law allows sporting clubs to develop and commercialise land in order to sustain their operation (File Photo) Solar battery storage The number of small-scale battery systems rose to 3,150 in 2025, up from 848 two years earlier, REWS report finds HOUSEHOLDS are increasing- ly storing electricity generated by rooftop solar panels for their own consumption with battery installation more than doubling in 2025. Installed capacity of small- scale battery storage systems reached 31.645MWh across 3,150 installations, according to the 2026 National Report by the Regulator for Energy and Water Services (REWS). The report shows that bat- tery storage capacity grew by 109.7% in a year, up from 15.089MWh across 1,636 in- stallations in 2024. In 2023, capacity stood at 6.687MWh across 848 installations. The growth in installations has been supported by gov- ernment investment grant schemes encouraging consum- ers to store renewable electric- ity and reduce the amount they draw from the public grid. Batteries remain a minority in solar installations Malta had more than 35,000 independent renewable ener- gy producers, the vast majori- ty of whom own rooftop solar systems. Comparing this fig- ure with the 3,150 battery in- stallations at the end of 2025 suggests an adoption rate of roughly 9% among renewable energy producers. This is an indicative estimate rather than an exact measure, since the two figures may not cover precisely the same pop- ulation. Nevertheless, the re- port suggests that battery stor- age remains far from universal among households and other renewable energy producers. The estimated share has risen from around 2.4% in 2023 and 4.7% in 2024. Small-scale batteries allow consumers to store surplus electricity generated by solar panels during the day and use it in the evening when solar production falls to zero but household demand remains high. The batteries store elec- tricity that would otherwise be exported to the public grid and release it when needed. An inverter converts electric- ity between the direct current generated by solar panels and batteries and the alternating current used by household ap- pliances. This enables consum- ers to use more of the electric- ity they generate themselves, reducing their reliance on grid electricity and making better use of renewable energy. By the end of 2025, 97.5% of Malta's grid-connected so- lar photovoltaic systems were rated at 11kWp or less, un- derlining the dominance of small-scale installations in the country's solar energy profile. A third of renewable electricity consumed on site The growth in battery storage has coincided with an increase in renewable electricity gener- ation. Malta generated an es- timated 363.75GWh of renew- able electricity in 2025, an 8% increase over the previous year. Of this, 124.7GWh, or 34.3%, was consumed directly on site by producers rather than ex- ported to the distribution grid. On site consumption includes solar power used directly while panels are generating electric- ity together with electricity stored in batteries. Sports Minister cautions clubs over risks of commercial development deals CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 "When an offer looks too good to be true, it may be too good to be true," he wrote. The minister did not pinpoint any particular deals or sporting activity but the warning comes as several football club owners and external investors are rushing to pump money into sports facili- ties amid concerns as to whether these initiatives are intended to provide the club with stable rev- enue, or whether it is being tak- en over to be used as a front for commercial development. The law allows sporting clubs to develop and commercialise land in order to sustain their operation. While such deals can provide much-needed fund- ing to modernise facilities and strengthen academies, they can also create tensions between commercial interests and a club's sporting purpose and its com- munity roots. Camilleri acknowledged grow- ing interest in Maltese sport from domestic and international investors, saying some proposals could bring capital, expertise and new opportunities. However, he stressed permission to pur- sue commercial activity did not mean every proposal was in a club's best interest. "Commercialisation was nev- er meant to commercialise the soul of a club," he said, arguing that clubs were built on dec- ades of voluntary work, sporting achievement and community identity. He warned that supporters must not be treated simply as customers or overlooked in busi- ness decisions, insisting the com- munities behind clubs should re- main part of their future. Camilleri urged clubs to look beyond headline investment fig- ures, impressive presentations and investors' public profiles. Instead, they should verify who is behind each proposal, establish who ultimately owns the compa- nies involved and confirm where the money is coming from and whether it is actually available. He also called for checks on corporate histories, previous projects, litigation, regulatory is- sues and investors' proven track records. The minister said clubs needed to consider not only what could happen if a project succeeded, but also what would happen if it stalled or an investor walked away. "When an offer looks too good to be true, it may be too good to be true. Ask the hard questions before you sign, not after, be- cause once a decision is made, it may be too late to undo," he warned. Camilleri said these risks were particularly important when agreements extended over many years, urging clubs to seek rep- utable investors, fresh ideas and international expertise. Tangible benefits for sport, athletes and communities need to remain the priority, he insisted. "The best commercialisation project will not necessarily be the one that delivers the biggest development. It will be the one that leaves the sporting legacy," he said. JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Malta had more than 35,000 independent renewable