The event coincided with the publication of SolarPower Europe’s flagship position paper, “Flexibility: Strengthening the Grid with Battery Storage and Demand Response,” outlining a comprehensive roadmap for EU and national policymakers.
Opening remarks setting the stage for Europe’s next energy chapter
SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger opened the day with a decisive message: while Europe’s energy transition faces moments of uncertainty, accelerating investment in flexibility is essential to keep progress on track. Flexibility, enabled by demand response, battery storage, and smarter grids, is now central to integrating rapidly growing renewable capacity, protecting consumers from price volatility, and strengthening energy security.
The new flexibility paper, presented by Catarina Augusto, Head of System Integration at SolarPower Europe, provided the backbone for discussions throughout the day, presenting recommendations structured around three pillars:
- A flexibility-first approach to grid development,
- Unlocking the full potential of demand response,
- Embracing the opportunity of battery storage
Electrification and energy security in the European context
The first session featured a policy dialogue moderated by SolarPower Europe Deputy CEO Dries Acke, joined by:
- Tom Howes, European Commission (DG ENER),
- Bruno Tobback, Member of the European Parliament, and
- José Carlos Coelho Fernandes de Matos, Energy Attaché, Portuguese Permanent Representation to the EU.
Speakers reflected on rising electrification needs and the pressure they put on Europe’s grid infrastructure. They emphasised the importance of flexibility as a strategic asset, not only for integrating renewables, but also for reducing fossil fuel dependence, strengthening resilience, and ensuring Europe remains competitive amid shifting global dynamics.
Discussions underlined the opportunity presented by upcoming EU frameworks, including the Grids Package and future flexibility-focused legislation.
1. Taking a Flexibility-First Approach to Grid Development
The first roundtable gathered representatives from ACER, CEER, Statkraft, and several TSOs and DSOs. Speakers agreed that Europe’s grids, originally designed for predictable, centralised generation, must evolve rapidly to accommodate electrification and decentralised renewable generation.
Key insights:
- Cross-border capacity is essential to share flexible resources and manage geographic variations in renewable output.
- Grid connection delays remain one of Europe’s largest barriers to renewable deployment.
- Permitting reform must be matched with improvements in grid planning and connection processes.
- Grid planning must genuinely consider flexibility options
2. Unlocking the Full Potential of Demand Response
The second roundtable turned to the consumer side of flexibility, bringing insights from EDP, the European Commission, and E-Mobility Europe. Speakers highlighted that enabling consumers to shift or optimise when they use electricity is one of Europe’s most under-used opportunities.
Key insights:
- Tariff design, especially time-of-use tariffs, will be critical to empower consumers to react to price signals.
- Smart tariffs, smart meters, and smart EV charging must be deployed together to unlock meaningful demand-side flexibility.
- Both households and industrial users can benefit financially from participating in flexibility services but only if market access is fair, simple, and transparent.
- Data access, interoperability, and digital tools are prerequisites for scaling real-world demand response.
3. Embracing Battery Storage Opportunities
The final session focused on battery storage, featuring contributions from members of the Battery Storage Europe Platform (BSEP), including IPS and UNEF. Speakers examined how Europe can build competitive, sustainable storage value chains and accelerate deployment.
Key insights:
- Battery storage has become a central pillar for balancing variable renewables and ensuring system reliability.
- Europe will need to multiply its storage capacity tenfold by 2030 to meet flexibility and security needs.
- Stable investment frameworks, efficient grid connection processes, and strong quality & sustainability standards are essential to scale safely and competitively.
BSEP will play a strategic role in guiding this rapid scale-up and ensuring Europe builds resilient storage supply chains.
A milestone for Europe’s flexibility agenda
The Flexibility Strategy Day highlighted the broad consensus across institutions, operators, and industry: Europe cannot deliver its energy transition without dramatically scaling energy flexibility.
The discussions confirm that deploying flexible solutions is essential to:
- integrate growing renewable power,
- reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports,
- manage rising electrification,
- strengthen grid resilience
- and protect consumers from price volatility.
- increase overall security of European households.
SolarPower Europe’s new flexibility paper and the insights from the Strategy Day will now feed into the organisation’s ongoing advocacy work, including the Battery Energy Storage Platform (BSEP) and the Let’s Flex campaign, which has brought energy flexibility to the top of the EU political agenda since 2024.
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