Large Scale Solar Europe Agenda

How to facilitate cross-border co-operation between TSOs to enable a flexible and responsive energy system, reduce price volatility and unlock greater generation efficiency.

Enabling smart system management with real-time information across the grid – lessons from successful integration projects, digitalisation efforts, and advanced monitoring technologies to enhance grid responsiveness and optimise energy flow.

As solar PV installations surge globally and efficiency of equipment has improved, the Nordic countries – Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Denmark – have increasingly embraced solar PV technology, defying their northern geographical challenges. Some have utilised robust policies and innovative approaches, while others have been less ambitious and are falling behind compared to their neighbours. What can be learnt from the different approaches of these emerging players?

How to leverage the region’s position as the lowest-cost producer of decarbonised energy in Europe? With almost 100GW of PV expected to be installed between the two countries by 2030, according to updated NECP targets, counteracting price cannibalisation and negative power prices is an urgent priority. Cross-border transmission could be key to this challenge, maximising market value, and mitigating the risks of price cannibalisation and negative power prices.

In an era of maturing solar markets, and increasing competition for the best sites, how to choose the right type of land to build solar projects?

• Anticipating planning challenges and overcoming them
• Considering proximity to a substation, and how it can increase the return on investment.
• Evaluating the technical parameters of the land, including the inclination, size and shape to decide if the land is suitable for PV.
• Assessing ESG factors and considering biodiversity.

In the first seven months of 2024, utility-scale solar output in Central and Eastern Europe’s top five solar-producing countries—Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Poland—surged by 55% compared to the same period in 2023. With the approval of Romania’s much-anticipated CfD scheme last month, and nations from Bulgaria to the Baltics raising their NECP targets, this momentum shows no sign of slowing down.

• Mapping the key opportunities and challenges across this rapidly developing region
• Balancing land availability and grid infrastructure – where would investors put their money within the region?
• How is power demand in the region growing – highlighting key industrial zones
• What is the size of the co-location play?

As projects age, technology advances and power prices fall or are cannibalised, asset owners are increasingly adopting revamping and repowering strategies to optimise operations and boost returns.

• What are the legal hurdles in different solar markets?
• Timing a repowering or revamping project effectively
• Understanding which projects are ripe for works
• Expected results:
  • Improved revenue
  • Life extension
  • Storage capabilities
  • Overall project value & bankability
  • Reduced operational cost
  • Digitisation and automation
• Working with local authorities to deliver a project and working within the guidelines of existing government incentive schemes
• Recycling redundant equipment

• Current landscape and growth trends for rooftop solar
• Market design challenges affecting energy sharing and self-consumption
• Investing in grid infrastructure to support rising solar capacity
• Case studies of successful rooftop solar installations
• Aligning national policies to facilitate energy sharing and collective self-consumption

A record number of green jobs will be required to create a ‘skilled green workforce in the economy’ but the industry is struggling to attract the skilled workers it needs.

• How big is the current deficit? What is the extent of the problem and how will it grow with increased deployment targets over the next decade?
• How to professionalise and systemise the industry as it gains increasing attention and investment?

With value chain disruption causing delays to construction, financing mechanisms that allow flexibility within the construction process are becoming increasingly interesting to developers. What do these structures look like?

Multiple gigawatts of domestic PV manufacturing are needed in Europe to support the continent’s solar deployment targets and underpin future energy resilience.

But with sustained low prices and oversupply looking set to extend into 2026, is a reshoring revival realistic?

How can the industry attract the necessary investment to generate and sustain operations at the required scale – estimated to be around €8 billion over the next decade?

Floating solar systems are becoming increasingly commonplace across Europe. As a tool which enables developers to build on open waters and large reservoirs, this nascent part of the industry provides an effective solution to harnessing the power of the sun and water.

• What can you learn from current developers in the market?
• What are the necessary stages in building a floating solar project?
• What are the current trends in the market?

• How much of an uplift in yield can you expect from bifacial modules, larger format modules (LFMs), and PERC technology?
• How are companies harnessing AI or Machine Learning for tasks like site selection, resource assessment, and production forecasting?
• Bringing it together: what’s the capacity of high-efficiency modules and AI-powered optimisation to lead to higher energy yields and lower operational costs?

Which tools are useful, which are over-hyped?

Examining legislation across the continent – from Czechia’s groundbreaking backing to Italy’s controversial ban, how are governments helping (or hindering) the development of Agrivoltaics projects and what is their potential impact on the solar industry?

• How early engagement with local authorities, and understanding regional regulations can help streamline these processes and avoid delays
• Preparing an effective plan for collaboration and communication with all stakeholders, including local communities, government agencies, and industry partners
• Early and continuous engagement with local communities to build trust and address any concerns or objections they may have about solar projects