Throughout the two days, the discussions centered around the opportunities and challenges shaping the energy landscape. The sessions explored how to integrate solar into an electrified, flexible energy system, build resilient and sustainable supply chains, and deploy solar in harmony with landscapes and communities.
The meeting opened with a session on the solar business case in time of negative prices. Insightful presentations were made by Ignacio Asenjo from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) and Marius Mordal Bakke of Rystad, who provided perspectives on both policy and market dynamics. Participants then split up into four groups for an engaging workshop, where they explored the business case for both rooftop PV and ground-mounted PV, highlighting a range of perspectives and priorities for the sector.
The meeting also discussed the disinformation challenges and ongoing efforts to combat fake news about solar energy, including the successful European Solar Day campaign. National associations from Spain, Germany, Slovenia, and Bulgaria also shared best practices and their experiences in addressing the spread of solar misinformation across Europe. The speakers were Laura Villaverde from the Spanish Solar Photovoltaic Association, Jörg Ebel of IBC Solar, Nina Hojnik from the Slovenian Photovoltaic Association, and Nikola Gazdov of the Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity (APSTE). The session concluded with an open discussion, during which participants agreed on key action points and a roadmap to collectively address disinformation trends, ensuring that solar remains widely trusted and supported
At the close of the first day’s productive discussions, participants gathered at SolarPower Europe’s Rooftop REconnect event, where they enjoyed an evening of networking, inspiring speeches, delicious food, and stunning views.
The second day began with a session on deploying renewables in harmony with landscapes and communities. The discussion featured Ion Codescu from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) and Seda Orhan, Head of Energy at CAN Europe, who explored how renewable energy systems can be developed in ways that protect nature while delivering benefits to local communities. Breakout sessions navigated best practices and opportunities for solar deployment aligned with nature-inclusive standards, highlighting both the nature-positive potential of solar infrastructure and the critical role of meaningful community engagement.
The Strategy Days closed with a focus on supply chains. The panel brought together Jacek Truszczyński of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW); Lena Kaiser, Energy and Industry Policy Advisor to Greens/EFA MEP Michael Bloss, and Bozorg Khanbaei, Executive Director of the Batteries European Partnership Association. Together, they explored the measures needed to build supply chains that are both resilient and sustainable. The discussion was followed by a workshop in which participants exchanged ideas on how to achieve sustainability and resilience in the manufacturing of both photovoltaic systems and battery energy storage systems.
The Strategy Days offered a valuable opportunity for National Associations, along with the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of SolarPower Europe's workstreams to deepen their cooperation, reaffirm their shared commitment, and exchange insights, all in pursuit of a common goal: accelerating progress towards a future powered by solar energy.
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