Roundtables Europe 2024

What you can expect:

Curated by pv magazine: Our program will be alive with energy, with the experts at pv magazine curating sessions to discuss, analyze, and dissect the latest industry news, and trends, and host insightful discussions.
In-Depth Content: The world of solar and storage has never been bigger or more important, and our sessions delve into the hottest topics such as new technology trends, sustainability, quality, energy management and AI, Agrivoltaics, European value chain, deployment and grid issues, policy to advance renewables, and the energy storage landscape.
Top Experts: Our conference unites the powerhouse minds in the European solar industry, sparking discussions among top experts, analysts, and stakeholders.
Free Access: Essential market insights and technological knowledge at no cost, all from the comfort of your home.

Overview of our Roundtables Europe Sessions:

1. From Baku to Europe: The future of Solar PV

The opening pv magazine roundtable will take place shortly after COP29 in Azerbaijan, where countries will negotiate the next steps in climate protection. In the opening session, we’ll assess whether global markets are meeting key milestones and can continue to do so in the photovoltaics sector. This will include examining selected countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe, where pv magazine is active. We’ll discuss necessary actions from policymakers, industry contributions, the joint expansion of photovoltaics and storage (a COP29 topic), and the role of financing.

2. Supply chain in disarray: Where next for prices for modules and more?

The effort to establish resilient EU PV production after the COVID-19 crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appears to have stalled, partly due to market conditions and tight member state budgets. However, the NZIA, outlining the EU’s resilience requirements, is in force, and some manufacturers are continuing. Additionally, there are discussions about partnering with Chinese companies, with arguments that China’s innovation lead now requires unsustainable levels of investment to match. There’s also debate on whether India and Turkey could help diversify the value chain. We aim to explore viable approaches and the role of political action in this process.

3. Leading edge: What next for solar cells?

TOPCon cells have quickly risen to represent the largest share of PV cells and modules on the market. But this market is crowded, and manufacturers are looking to the next evolution in cell technology to help stand out from the pack. In 2024, we have seen the first commercial perovskite-silicon PV modules introduced to the market, though there is still plenty of skepticism surrounding this technology. And we have seen some large manufacturers already take the alternate routes of heterojunction or back contact technologies, in search of higher efficiency.

4. Quality of Installations: What has the industry learned this year?

pv magazine is strongly focused on quality of modules, bringing focus in this session to two areas: power measurement comparisons over time, where nameplate ratings in watts can see deviations from spec, both positive and negative. And, potential UV degradation concerns in both TOPCon and HJT, a current issue still being investigated by industry stakeholders.

In the second part of the session, tackling the quality of systems within installations, we’ll look at how developers and investors can handle reliability risk in the most cost-efficient way. We’ll consider growing O&M expertise and look at the full electrical balance of system which is being targeted for increasing quality and reliability. These topics will come together on a panel, as we explore the evolving industry that is always trying to do more with less.

5. Negative electricity prices: A showstopper for utility scale solar?

The number of hours with negative electricity prices has risen sharply in 2023, putting significant strain on solar system operators and installers. Negative prices devalue their solar power, with the impact varying depending on individual business models and regulations. If this trend persists, existing systems may become unprofitable, and fewer new ones will be built. We explore the causes of this situation, discuss potential solutions, and consider how to improve the outlook for operators, project developers, and independent power producers (IPPs).

6. Big BESS in Europe: Safety, logistics, and outlook

A trend in utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) is the rise of energy-dense products, housed in standard 20ft containers. While these offer potential cost and land savings, the weight of many of these systems poses logistical challenges by exceeding standards for European ports, roads, and bridges. Additionally, higher energy density amplifies existing safety concerns with more energy packed into the same footprint. Can these cutting-edge solutions unlock new opportunities for the European market, or are they locked out?

7. AgriPV: Between promises and performance

In the past year, finally, the AgriPV market has experienced significant growth, driven by solar infrastructure improvements, increased policy support, and growing awareness. We’ll discuss module technology, plus detail the impact of AgriPV on crop productivity, water usage, and soil health, and how the partnerships emerging between farmers and solar will hold, and what risks are present. Plus, we’ll debate if allowing sheep grazing is AgriPV or just a better way to mow fields, and evaluate how farmers are approaching the topic across regions.