This year’s topics included conversations about the REPowerEU plan, digitalisation, energy efficiency and securing a fair energy transition for all. These discussions come at a time when Europe is facing an unprecedented energy crisis and the need to accelerate renewable energy deployment is stronger than ever before.
Shaping the Solar Terawatt Age: Implementing the EU Solar Strategy
This session looked at the European Commission’s recently proposed EU Solar Strategy and what the main challenges will be in reaching its targets.
The first panel examined the deployment of “solar volumes” with a special focus on permitting and skilled labour. The second panel focused on building “a sustainable and resilient value chain from raw materials to manufacturing".
Our CEO Walburga Hemetsberger was moderator and joined by:
- Eliano Ruso, Head of 3SUN Gigafactory, Enel Green Power
- Julie Beaufils, Secretary General, EuropeON
- Jacek Truszczynski, Deputy Head for 'Green and circular economy', Directorate-General Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship & SMEs (DG GROW), European Commission
- Peter Vermaat, Secretary General, DSO Entity EU
- Łukasz Koliński, Head of Unit for Economic Analysis and Financial Instruments, Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER), European Commission
- Alexandra Sombsthay, VP Europe – Akuo Energy
- Michaela Holl, Senior Associate, Agora Energiewende
Rewatch the session here.
Achieving energy independence and the green transition: REPowering consumers
During the session on 29 September, SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger joined a panel which discussed how investments in self-consumption can shield consumers from volatility in gas and electricity markets, how we could unlock flexibility resources as an alternative to conventional gas and how we can ensure the security of supply, which is worsened by the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
The moderator was Frédéric Simon, Editor at EURACTIV, and other speakers included:
- Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Directorate General for Energy (DG ENER), European Commission
- Annegret Groebel, President at CEER
- Jaume Loffredo, Energy Team Leader at European Consumer Organisation (BEUC)
- Stephen Russell, Director General at ANEC
- Walburga Hemetsberger, Chief Executive Officer at SolarPower Europe
- Paul Wilczek, Head of Energy Policy, Climate & Sustainability, Eurelectric
Sustainable Energy Day: Putting buildings at the centre of integrated local energy systems
Coinciding with EUSEW on 29 September, SolarPower Europe’s Policy Director Dries Acke participated in a high-level policy debate organised by COGEN Europe on buildings decarbonisation and best practices.
During this session, MEP Ciarán Cuffe emphasised that:
“We need to roll out solar and wind quickly. The price of new wind and solar is going down… it is benefitting the consumer with lower energy bills.”
Other speakers included:
- Hans Korteweg, Managing Director, COGEN Europe
- Adela Tesarova, Head of Unit 'Consumers, Local Initiatives, Just Transition', DG Energy, European Commission
- Jeremy Harrison, Principal Analyst, Delta-EE
- Alexandra Tudoroiu-Lakavičė, Head of Policy, COGEN Europe
- Kamila Waciega, Director of Energy & Public Affairs, Veolia
- Aurelie Bauvais, Managing Director, Euroheat & Power
- Marion Malafosse, Policy Manager, SmartEn
- Eva Hennig, Head of Brussels Office and Department of EU energy policy of Thüga AG
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