United by Solar: A new political season in Brussels

Starting out strong, with our annual Rooftop Reconnect rentrée event, we heard inspiring words from Philippe Lambert, Principle Advisor to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: "Is the green deal dead? Absolutely not. We must stay the course, and for that we need to build bridges.

Building bridges is a central part of our work at SolarPower Europe. We did that at the Rooftop Reconnect event, joining forces with other key associations to champion Europe’s powerhouse: E-Mobility Europe, European Heat Pump Association, and RECHARGE. In the same week, we hosted National Associations from across the EU at our offices in Brussels for some very productive strategy days.

Solar is not only building capacity, but also about serving the European economy and European citizens - delivering benefits directly into people's hands. Over these two days, we explored how to integrate solar into an electrified, flexible energy system; build resilient and sustainable supply chains; and how to continue deploying solar in harmony with landscapes and communities.
 

Building on this great momentum, I headed to Strasbourg for the first Plenary session after the summer. President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the Union speech setting the tone for the months and years to come.

Freedom. Security. Independence. Unity. These were the most used words in the President’s address. And the great thing is, solar offers all of this. Listen to the latest episode of Shine On Policycast to hear more.
 
Solar combined with storage and flexibility is the ultimate freedom energy. Allowing Europeans to become the masters of their own energy, reduce electricity bills and contribute to a brighter future. 
 
Solar is a source of security for Europe. The sun cannot be weaponised. However, we must strengthen our grids. Flexibility is the key to energy security, and security more widely. Security also means #10XBatteryStorage in Europe as we are calling for with the Battery Storage Europe Platform. 
 
We also must make our supply chains more resilientindependent and; boost European solar manufacturing. Let's take pride in our European industry, as the pioneers of solar technology. This year’s EU PVSEC explored how to do just that. At the event last week, we launched our new study in collaboration with Fraunhofer ISE: Reshoring Solar Module Manufacturing to Europe. Crucially, the modelling highlights the risk that the Net-Zero Industry Act rules could end up supporting solar supply chain diversification without boosting European solar manufacturers. The message is clear: European manufacturers need more support. Read the report for the full analysis and recommendations for policymakers.

While at EU PVSEC in Bilbao, I was honoured to receive the Becquerel Prize 2025 for Outstanding Merit in Photovoltaics. As I said in my acceptance speech, this prize is not about one person. It is about the joint efforts of the SolarPower Europe team, and our valued members, in driving forward the solar energy transition.

At this turbulent time, Europe must stand united. We will not achieve our energy transition goals by acting in silos. That means bringing together people, industries, and government players. At SolarPower Europe, we are proud to be championing that and will continue to do so. Together, we are stronger.