On 1 July, SolarPower Europe hosted a dynamic and forward-looking Strategy Day at our Brussels office, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and energy market experts for an in-depth exchange on the future of Europe’s electricity markets. The event was organised in collaboration with members of our Markets & Investments Workstream, focusing on building a competitive, flexible, and solar-powered Europe.
This full-day event focused on overcoming critical challenges to solar market integration, unlocking new investments, and ensuring long-term viability for solar and storage through improved market design and policy support.
Opening remarks by Dries Acke, our Deputy CEO and Mathilde Catrycke, Chair of the Markets & Investments Workstream (Engie), set the tone for the day: Europe must rapidly align policy and market structures with the accelerating deployment of solar PV and storage to meet decarbonisation targets. Simon Dupond, Workstream Coordinator and Policy Advisor at SolarPower Europe, outlined the key themes driving the day: system integration, investment signals, and enhanced flexibility.
Key Takeaways from Strategy Day Sessions
Roundtable 1: Shaping the Future of Decarbonised Electricity Markets The morning began with insights from the European Commission’s Ignacio Asenjo (DG ENER), who highlighted the EU's strategic priorities for integrating renewables. Dave Jones of Ember presented new data underscoring solar and storage's transformative potential. Panelists and participants discussed aligning policy to scale these solutions effectively.
Workshop 1: Investment Signals for Optimal Solar PV Deployment Speakers from Iberdrola, Aurora, and SolarPower Europe explored how to improve locational investment signals and address rising grid-related system costs. An interactive workshop enabled participants to co-design policy solutions for better revenue predictability while maintaining system efficiency.
This was followed by a lighthearted networking activity where all the participants were paired up to discover ‘Which electricity market type are you?’.
Roundtable 2: Experts from the European Commission, Agora Energiewende, LevelTen Energy, and Engie explored how to future-proof long-term contracting mechanisms like CfDs and PPAs. Discussions centered on balancing investor certainty with market responsiveness, and how hybrid contracting models can enhance deployment.
Workshop 2: The final session dove into how capacity markets and forward products can be redesigned to fully include solar PV, hybrids, and storage. With input from FTI Consulting, Elia, and Beyond Fossil Fuels, participants brainstormed practical solutions for improving flexibility and non-fossil resource participation.
A Collaborative Path Forward
The Strategy Day concluded with reflections on the critical importance of harmonising market design with the realities of solar deployment. The need for a pan-European, future-ready investment environment was echoed across sessions. Following a day of intensive discussion and collaboration, participants continued networking over informal drinks in the park.
Thank you to all the speakers and attendees for a successful and informative gathering as we help drive the solar transition in Europe forward!
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