Battery Business & Development Forum 2025

Mark your calendars for an exclusive, in-person event organized by Conexio-PSE and pv magazine.

Europe’s grid-scale storage market, particularly in Germany and Italy, is evolving at lightning speed. Join us for this one-day conference, where industry leaders will dive into critical topics like revenue optimization, financing strategies, risk mitigation, quality control, technology selection, grid connection requirements, and more.

Pre-event networking reception on July 15 | Expert sessions & workshops on July 16

Why you should attend?

• Struggling to secure financing? Learn what makes your project attractive to capital providers.
• Unclear on risk mitigation? Navigate grid connection, permitting, and regulation in Germany and Italy.
• Facing market uncertainty? Optimize revenue streams — merchant, tolling, capacity — and learn from real backtests.
• Choosing the right tech? Discover how to assess lithium-ion specs, chemistries, and warranties.
• Thinking of shifting from PV to storage? Learn what it takes to move from development to ownership.

This is the event to:

• Get all the insights you need in just one day.
• Gain actionable strategies from leading experts.
• Make direct connections with decision-makers across the industry.

What you will learn:

• How to build a bulletproof business case for your BESS assets.
• How to mitigate project risks in Germany and Italy.
• Where the hottest BESS markets are — and how to enter them.
• The realities of co-location, market cannibalization, and trading.
• What banks and investors really want to see.
• How to make tech decisions that don’t kill your project margins.

Agenda Overview

This is a preliminary outline; we will fine-tune the program in the upcoming weeks. Please check back for the latest information. 

Session 1

Investor perspective: What BESS projects are in demand, and how are portfolios built?

In this session, we will explore investment strategies in the BESS sector. How do investors hedge their risks, particularly in connection with wind and solar power investments, and what does this mean for projects? What is their view on market risks and the possibility of hedging them with tolling agreements?

Session 2

Grid-scale BESS in Europe: Hot markets and optimizing revenue streams – merchant, with tolling, or with capacity mechanisms

In this session, we will discuss revenue expectations in Germany, Italy, and other European markets. We will explore what fair tolling agreements can look like and how they compare with the current market situation, merchant revenues, and – for some countries – capacity market revenues. Additionally, we will examine whether revenues are likely to decrease due to the cannibalization of storage, depending on various expansion scenarios. Finally, we will look at which other developments in the energy markets are crucial in the medium term. 

• Workshop Germany: Grid connection and building permits – How to navigate?

  In this session, we will first discuss how grid operators select the recipients of grid connections. Then, we will explore how grid operators and developers can find solutions to make storage grid-supportive while ensuring market revenues are sufficient for a successful business model. This will also provide insights into which locations are likely to have good prospects for grid support in the future. Additionally, we will discuss with experts how the path to obtaining a building permit (Baugenehmigung) can be optimized.

• Workshop Italy: Choosing the best path for BESS ROI in Italy – MACSE, capacity market, or merchant strategies?

Italy is emerging as one of Europe’s hottest battery energy storage markets, fueled by the diverse range of available investment strategies. In this session, we’ll dive into the most effective approaches for maximizing your return on investment in large-scale battery energy storage. From tolling revenues under the MACSE procurement and capacity market contracts to merchant revenue capture, leading experts will dissect the pros and cons of each, along with the latest market trends. 

Session 3

Rethinking optimization: How to identify capable optimizers 

Asset owners find it difficult to assess whether one revenue optimizer that trades battery capacity on the markets will generate more or less revenue than another. We will discuss which backtests can provide valuable insights, what ‘perfect foresight’ means, whether there are meaningful benchmark indices, and what the relationship between virtual and physical trading entails. In other words, what to ask optimizer providers and which differences to pay attention to. 

• Workshop Germany: Regulatory risks and challenges

In this session, we will discuss how likely certain risks are, how they affect profitability, and how developers and investors can deal with them. For example, the grid fee exemption (Netzentgeltbefreiung) will expire in 2028 if not extended as discussed. A split of the electricity price zone into two parts is being considered, and there will likely be developments regarding grid connection fees (Baukostenzuschuss). Additionally, the introduction of a capacity market could reduce BESS revenues. 

• Workshop Italy: Grid capacity and regulatory challenges for battery storage in Italy

There are stark differences in energy storage requirements across Italy, determined mainly by different price zones and their limited interconnectivity. This makes location a key factor in deciding revenue-hedging strategies. This session will provide in-depth insights into Italy’s grid capacity and the regulatory challenges across its seven pricing zones. Learn how to navigate these complexities and discover effective strategies to overcome obstacles in taking your battery storage projects from concept to commercial operation date (COD). 

Session 4

Bankability and financing in the context of BESS

What do banks look at when deciding whether and under what conditions to finance BESS projects with debt capital? The bankability in terms of market risk can depend on strong tolling agreements that provide security for the offtake. However, 100% merchant projects can still be financed. Will this remain the case? In addition to market risk, there is also technical risk. What types of guarantees and product specifications can convince banks? 

• Advancing lithium-ion technology: From identifying high-quality products to understanding operational impacts 

If a BESS does not perform as planned, a project can fail. What specifications should be considered? How can warranty conditions best be defined in relation to the operating strategy (e.g., maximum cycles vs. cycles per day)? What are the quality expectations, and how can manufacturers be thoroughly assessed? Which specifications should be considered, for example, weight, energy density, or logistical matters? And how are prices developing? Don’t miss the chance to connect with key industry stakeholders and gain the insights you need to make your storage projects a success!

Session 5

From solar to BESS: Moving from PV project development to BESS with and without co-location 

It is natural for photovoltaic project developers to also target the BESS market—both stand-alone and co-location. We will start the session by exploring the role of batteries in co-location projects, including aspects such as PPAs, trading revenues, reactive power services, and grid connection. We will then discuss the challenges solar project developers face, which ones may be underestimated, how to attract investors, and what lessons can be learned from experience with existing BESS. 

Who Should Attend?

• Project Developers & Owners
• Banks, Investors, Capital Providers
• Insurers & Route-to-Market Providers
• Energy Utilities, DSOs & TSOs
• Consultants, Regulators, Government Agencies
• Technology Providers & EPCs

Unique Value

Get up to speed fast: 1 day, 1 location, all the insights you need to make informed investment and development decisions. Meet the people who matter in Europe’s battery storage sector.

Location & Logistics

Venue: Scandic Hotel Frankfurt Hafenpark | Pre-event reception: July 15, 2025 | Full-day conference: July 16, 2025