A dynamic delegation from SolarPower Europe joined on-site in Munich, participating in a series of exciting events, activities, and report launches.
The release of SolarPower Europe’s latest Global Market Outlook for Solar Power 2024-2028 set the tone for this year's conference with impressive statistics. In 2023, the global solar market surged by 87%, installing 447 GW of new solar capacity—nearly half a terawatt. This growth brought the world's cumulative solar capacity to 1.6 TW, surpassing the annual electricity consumption of Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Czechia, Austria, Portugal, and Greece – combined. The forecast suggests that global solar installations are on track to exceed 2 TW in 2024, paving the way for annual installations to reach 1 TW by 2028. Achieving these targets, however, depends on unlocking financing and enhancing energy system flexibility, focusing on advancements in battery storage and electrification.
Solar accounted for 78% of installed renewables capacity in 2023. Our trajectory indicates we are on track to significantly increase annual installations and overall capacity in the coming years.
Director of Market Intelligence
We need to invest in flexibility and aim for around 200 GW of storage by 2030 in Europe. On our current path, we will only reach 132 GW. We must combine investments in grids with flexibility and significantly scale up investments to achieve our goals.
CEO
The first day of the conference also featured insightful sessions led by SolarPower Europe experts. Our Senior Policy Advisor, Jan Osenberg, explored integrating solar into smart buildings, while Head of Market Intelligence, Raffaele Rossi, provided a comprehensive analysis of the European solar PV market.
Day 2 came with a fresh boost of energy, as the exhibition kicked off alongside the conference. SolarPower Europe booth was open for business, where visitors could pick up a fresh copy of our new Global Market Outlook and meet with many members, colleagues, and new solar friends. Our team were delighted to speak with members and solar enthusiasts about SolarPower Europe’s work, and passers-by enjoyed some of the fun games and free merch on offer at our booth.
We also toured some of our members' booths, where they proudly supported the #EuropeanSolarDay campaign, which took place on Friday 21 June.
Day 3 was manufacturing day at Intersolar. We started off the day with an insightful discussion with European Commission Director-General for Industry, Kerstin Jorna, and representatives from Europe’s leading inverter manufacturers. During the conversation we presented the paper ‘Inverters Explained 2.0’ which proposes establishing an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) as a foundation for Europe to entrench its world-leading spot in inverters that go the extra mile – supporting the grid, securing cyber-preparedness, and strengthening digital interoperability.
The day continued with important discussions through the European Solar PV Industry Alliance’s second annual EU Solar PV Industry Forum. Attendees exchanged on the industry’s role in achieving net-zero goals, supply chain sustainability, reshoring and rescaling solar manufacturing in Europe, and more.
We were delighted to guide Kerstin Jorna through the booths solar manufacturers from across Europe, who shared their latest breakthroughs, and their proposals for the implementation of the Net-Zero Industry Act: Holosolis, Heliup, 3Sun, NexWafe, and Schletter. Along the way, we also had the pleasure of seeing where innovation can take us, with BayWa r.e. and SolAqua showcasing wonderful advancements in floating solar and agrisolar.
Manufacturing activities for the day came to a peak with our CEO, Walburga Hemetsberger, joining the panel for the launch of the EU Solar Academy, set up by the European Commission and managed by EIT InnoEnergy. The solar academy is the first in a series of EU Academies to be set up under the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), and aims to train 100,000 workers in the solar PV value chain over the next three years to address the current labour and skills gap in the sector.
In parallel, the SolarPower Europe team were also active in other sessions: During the Grids and Flexibility open discussion, Senior Technical Advisor, Catarina Augusto, and Junior Market Analyst, Antonio Arruebo, addressed challenges for solar in supporting grid stability and flexibility, and presented the recently published European Market Outlook for Battery Storage 2024-2028.
A Global Associations Workshop, organised by SolarPower Europe and BSW – Bundesverband Solarwirtschaft e.V., and supported by the Global Solar Council (GSC) and GET.invest, brought together over 30 participants from national solar associations worldwide. This annual gathering in Munich provided a platform for national solar associations to showcase market insights, policy developments, and ongoing challenges in their respective countries.
Intersolar Europe 2024 concluded with a vibrant celebration at our European Solar Day themed booth party, ahead of the longest, brightest day of the year. Overall, Intersolar Europe provided a crucial platform for stakeholders to collaborate, exchange knowledge, and chart the future course of solar energy innovation and policy across Europe and beyond. With momentum building, the solar industry looks forward to further advancements and collaborative efforts in the years to come.
Despite the busy week, the entire team feels inspired and energised after witnessing the immense potential of our rapidly growing sector firsthand. See you next year!
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