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Battery Business & Development

Forum 2026

Following a strong first edition, the Battery Business & Development Forum returns in 2026.

Who should attend: Project developers · Investors · Banks · Utilities · EPCs · Optimizers/traders · Manufacturers · Service providers · Grid operators

What the event focuses on:

How battery storage projects are financed, planned and built in today’s market environment. Across 15 sessions, the program covers capital flows, revenue models, bankability, regulation and technical project design — complemented by perspectives on supply chains, manufacturing, safety and European policy.

The agenda combines a broad European market view with dedicated deep dives into key topics, including Germany as one of the most dynamic and complex BESS markets today.

Organizers: Conexio PSE · pv magazine · SolarPower Europe

Event program at a glance

March 31: First conference day and evening networking reception
April 1: Second conference day with expert sessions & workshops
Venue: Meliá Frankfurt City, Germany

Agenda Overview

Day 1 — March 31, 2026

10:00 am – 11:15 am

Session 1 | Capital flows into BESS: Where investors put money and what they expect now

Capital for battery storage is available — but it is becoming more selective. Starting with a European market outlook, this session brings together infrastructure funds, utilities, and mid-market investors to discuss where capital is flowing, how risk appetite is changing, and what developers need to deliver to secure funding today.

What you will discuss:

Which European markets are currently attracting capital — and which are being avoided
How institutional investors assess merchant risk, regulation, and pipeline quality
What typically makes investors walk away from a deal
What “investment-ready” means today for mid-sized BESS projects (e.g. 40–60 MW)
How smaller developers can access equity and scale into institutional capital

Featuring companies such as: Wood Mackenzie · Allianz Global Investors · TotalEnergies · Macquarie Capital · Alpiq · Green Flexibility · Tauber Energy · re:cap global investors · Finanzhaus Main-Tauber

Moderated by: Marija Maisch, Michael Fuhs, pv magazine

— Coffee Break —

11:45 am – 1:00 pm

Session 2 | BESS routes-to-market in Europe: Merchant, capacity, and tolling — What works where

Revenue models for battery storage are evolving — but not all of them are equally reliable, scalable, or financeable. This session breaks down the three dominant routes-to-market in Europe and examines where they work in practice, how they are structured, and what risks they carry.

What you will discuss:

How reliable merchant revenues really are over a 10-year horizon and which assumptions are often wrong
Whether capacity markets provide meaningful downside protection and if models like Poland could work elsewhere
How tolling agreements are actually negotiated: key risk allocation, pricing challenges, and deal-breakers
What makes structured offtake agreements “bankable” and where negotiations typically fail
Which routes-to-market are currently viable in Germany vs. other European markets

Featuring companies such as: Afry · Aurora Energy Research · Engie · Zenobē · Return · GoldenPeaks Capital · R.Power · Osborne Clarke

Moderated by: Ulrike Gunnemann, Electric Blue

Deep Dive | Resilient grids with batteries: Market opportunities and technical pathways

Batteries are set to redefine resilience at utility and residential level. This session outlines where markets for grid services, such as grid forming and voltage control, are established or emerging – e.g. Germany from 2026 and beyond, and other mandatory markets- and how they enhance system stability. Experts explore the role of grid services in strengthening energy systems – providing a market outlook as well as technology insights on implementation pathways for power electronics and system-level solutions for future-proof grid operations.

Moderated by: Catarina Augusto, SolarPower Europe

— Lunch Break —

2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

Session 3 | Financing BESS: What banks accept — and where deals break

Debt for battery storage is available, but conditions are changing as merchant exposure increases and revenue structures become more complex. This session brings together banks, developers, offtakers and investors to discuss what is currently financeable, how contracts are structured in practice, and where expectations diverge.

What you will discuss:

How much merchant exposure banks are currently willing to accept
What makes a tolling agreement truly bankable in practice
Where expectations between banks, offtakers and developers typically diverge
How financing structures change when revenue uncertainty increases
Whether refinancing and new structures can unlock projects without long-term contracts
At what point a project becomes too risky even for equity

Featuring companies such as: ABN AMRO · NordLB · Santander · Rabobank · RWE · Terralayr · Gresham House · Aquila Capital · Maxxen

Moderated by: Ann Cocquyt, Pexapark

Deep Dive Europe 1 | What’s Brussels’ plan for battery storage in European markets

Representatives from the EU and industry associations will discuss Europe’s upcoming regulatory priorities and market design for battery storage. The session explores how EU strategies – under all relevant policy frameworks, including a dedicated Energy Storage Strategy under preparation — aim to scale storage deployment, strengthen flexibility markets, and accelerate integration into a resilient, renewables-based power system across EU member states.

Moderated by: Dries Acke, SolarPower Europe

— Coffee Break —

3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

Session 4 | European success stories – What drives storage deployment?

Moderated by: Michael Schmela, SolarPower Europe

Deep Dive Germany 1 | Grid access in Germany: FCA, grid fees and market perspectives

Grid connection remains one of the central bottlenecks for battery storage in Germany. At the same time, new instruments such as flexible connection agreements (FCA) and upcoming changes in grid fees are reshaping how projects are developed, assessed and financed. This session brings together regulators, grid operators and developers to discuss how the system currently works and where it is heading.

What you will discuss:

How FCA agreements are currently negotiated in practice and where uncertainty remains
Whether FCA can become a standardized and investable framework
How grid operators and developers assess risk, predictability and cooperation
What to expect from upcoming reforms (AgNeS, grid fees) and how they affect project economics
What developers should do today to make projects robust under changing rules

Featuring organizations such as: German Federal Network Agency · TenneT · SH Netz · Lechwerke · Green Flexibility · Eco Stor · Entrix · Aurora Energy Research · FfE

Moderated by: Lars Stephan, Fluence

5:10 pm – 6:00 pm

Start-up pitch

Innovation in battery storage is increasingly driven by new market entrants developing technologies, software and business models across the value chain. In this fast-paced session, selected start-ups present their solutions and explain how they position themselves in a competitive and rapidly evolving market.

Each company gives a short pitch, followed by brief discussion and feedback from the moderator.

What you will discuss:

Which specific problems in the BESS value chain new companies are addressing
How software tools and AI-based approaches can support areas such as performance analysis or O&M
How new solutions aim to improve project returns, scalability or operational efficiency
Which applications and customer segments these companies are targeting
How these approaches fit into today’s storage market

Featuring start-ups such as: Scale Energy · Re-Twin · Module Energy · reLi Energy · Invertix

Moderated by: Matthias Engel, Vireo Ventures

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Netoworking reception

Day 2 — April 1, 2026

9:00 am – 10:15 am

Session 5 | Global supply chains – Ensuring access to critical raw materials for BESS Europe

As Europe rapidly expands its battery storage fleet and looks to increase domestic production, supply chain security becomes essential. This session looks at measures taken to make the EU more independent in sourcing critical raw materials for BESS components and how the framework conditions to facilitate recycling and circular economy in BESS need to evolve. This session will assess how EU legislation such as the Batteries Regulation, the Circular Economy Act and the RESource EU Action Plan affect businesses and whether they can contribute sufficiently to providing European manufacturers with access to the quantity and quality of critical raw materials needed to ensure diversification.

Moderated by: Christina Huber, SolarPower Europe

Interactive BESS Lab | Structuring and financing storage projects in Europe

This interactive session moves from discussion to application. Based on real-world assumptions, analysts present two battery storage projects — one stand-alone and one co-located with PV. A panel of banks, investors, developers and optimizers, together with the audience, assesses whether these projects are financeable — and under which conditions.

Participants follow the full decision process: from cost assumptions and revenue stacks to risk allocation and financing structure. The session makes transparent how different stakeholders evaluate the same project and where views diverge.

What you will discuss:

How realistic revenue assumptions hold up under current market conditions
Which risks (grid, regulation, market) most affect financing decisions
What banks, investors and optimizers require to support a project
How financing structures change depending on revenue mix and uncertainty
Where projects fail to convince — and what would make them investable

Featuring companies such as: Commerzbank · Abo Energy · The Mobility House · enervis · Clean Horizon · (tbc investor)

Moderated by: Marija Maisch, pv magazine

— Coffee Break —

10:45 am – 12:00 am

Session 6 | Co-Location of battery storage in Europe – the better alternative to stand-alone PV?

As grid access tightens and price volatility quickly grows across Europe, hybridising batteries with PV is emerging as a smart way to go. By sharing grid connections, boosting revenues through energy shifting and ancillary services, and reducing curtailment, hybridisation enhances both profitability and flexibility.

This session explores the regulatory, technical, and commercial advantages of hybrid solar and storage assets across Europe. Experts will discuss where hybridisation is already viable, leading markets, and key regulatory hurdles in permitting and grid connection. We will explore system value, comparing hybrid PPAs and emerging business models to market-optimised stand-alone batteries.

Moderated by: Antonio Arruebo, SolarPower Europe

Deep Dive Europe 2 | Made in Europe – How to Build a Competitive European Manufacturing Base

Building a strong domestic battery manufacturing base is critical to Europe’s energy autonomy. This session unpacks EU policies such as NZIA, CISAF and EU-made bonuses, addressing competitiveness, skills, and raw material challenges. Battery manufacturers and policymakers share insights on needs, targets, project designation and lessons learned at home and from Asia and the U.S., outlining potential pathways to bankability and industrial strength.

Moderated by: Walburga Hemetsberger, SolarPower Europe

— Lunch Break —

1:00 pm – 2:15 pm

Session 7 | Safety, security & sustainability – Aiming high despite huge cost pressure

Ensuring high technical and operational standards for BESS systems is essential to maintain and increase bankability, particularly in the context of strong cost pressure and rapid market growth across Europe. As investors and lenders increasingly scrutinise project risks, transparent technical due diligence, robust design practices, and clear risk mitigation frameworks become critical. While formal standardisation plays an important role, it takes time to develop and implement. In the meantime, effective knowledge sharing and industry guidelines are critical to reflect current best practices and lessons learned across the BESS value chain. This session highlights key technical and risk-related considerations impacting BESS bankability. The discussion will underline how shared knowledge can reduce perceived risks, support informed investment decisions, and strengthen confidence among financiers, insurers, and project developers contributing both to reliable BESS deployment today and to future standardisation efforts

Deep Dive Germany 2 | Co-located PV and storage: EEG reform, PPAs and bankability

As grid constraints increase and regulatory frameworks evolve, co-location of PV and battery storage is becoming a key development pathway in Germany. But the business case is not yet fully established. This session examines how different models perform in practice and under which conditions they become financeable.

What you will discuss:

How the upcoming EEG reform and tender design may affect co-located projects
Whether adding storage to PV creates measurable economic value
How hybrid PPAs are structured and what makes them work in practice
How banks and offtakers assess co-located projects compared to stand-alone BESS
Which project setups are currently viable in Germany

Featuring companies such as: BSW Solar · enervis · DAL · EnBW · LevelTen Energy · Maxsolar · suena

Moderated by: Margarete von Oppen, orka Partnerschaft

— Coffee Break —

2:45 pm – 4:00 pm

Session 8 | Future-proof BESS: Procurement, design and lessons from operating projects

Technical decisions made early in a battery storage project have long-term consequences for performance, reliability and revenue. This session examines how procurement, system design and construction choices affect project outcomes — and what developers should do differently.

The session is structured in two parts: first, a focus on procurement and component quality, including insights from factory audits; second, real-world cases from operating projects, analysing where design assumptions failed and how issues could have been avoided.

What you will discuss:

What developers should prioritize when procuring batteries and key components — including insights from factory audits
Which design choices have the biggest impact on long-term performance and flexibility
How to prepare systems for augmentation and changing market requirements
Typical issues observed in real projects, including SOC errors, PCS configuration, thermal management and control system integration
How to align EPC, system integration and operational strategy from the start

Featuring companies such as: Kiwa PI Berlin · Wärtsilä · Huawei · EVE Energy · HyperStrong · Giga Storage · ju:niz · Schoenergie · Energy2market · Accure Battery Intelligence · Volytica

Moderated by: Michael Fuhs, pv magazine