New business models don’t just open up new avenues to sell more solar plants, but they also require a new and bespoke skill set by those companies exploring their opportunities in these new fields. For years and years, the solar industry optimized its project development processes to meet public tenders’ requirements. But more recently, the market for power purchase agreements has evolved, opening grand opportunities for solar companies.

A welcome addition, as PPAs are not bound by government intent, but instead, project developers need to broker contracts with power utilities or businesses to build solar power stations. In this pv magazine Webinar, we will learn from Axpo, Switzerland’s largest renewable energy producer with significant expertise in PPAs, what it takes to build a good PPA project.

This summer, the developer will realize a technically rather demanding project in the Swiss high alps. The company will attach a 2,2 MW solar power plant vertically on a hydropower dam wall. The site lies at 2,500 meters altitude bringing its very own set of logistical challenges. Nonetheless, the project is a shiny example of how hitherto unused spaces can be utilized for solar power generation on the back of PPA project development.

Christoph Sutter, Head Division Renewables at Axpo, will discuss the Swiss alpine solar project in greater detail and how the company manages to realize such an outlier project against the odds.

Joining Christoph is Stéphanie Andrieu, CEO at Urbasolar. Together with Axpo’s subsidiary Urbasolar, we will explore what potential the PPA markets in Spain, France, and Italy hold and how to approach the individual markets. On top of that, we will learn what to bear in mind when realizing corporate PPAs and utility PPAs.

Marian Willuhn from pv magazine will be the moderator of this webinar. Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the webinar through a chat window.

Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.

Speakers

Christoph Sutter, Head Division Renewables | Axpo

Christoph Sutter is a Member of the Management Board and Head of the Renewables Division at Axpo Solutions AG, responsible for the development, construction and operation of new wind and solar power plants. He is also leading the establishment of the company’s hydrogen and battery businesses and is chairman of the blockchain company elblox AG. Before joining Axpo, he was the CEO of South Pole Group, a company he co-founded in 2006 and which is globally active in the development of climate protection projects. Prior to that he worked as a strategy consultant at McKinsey & Company in Zurich. Christoph Sutter completed his PhD on the sustainability assessment of energy projects at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2009 and Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation in 2011.

Stéphanie Andrieu, CEO | Urbasolar

Stéphanie ANDRIEU is CEO and Co-founder of Urbasolar, a group specializing in solar photovoltaics. Fully committed to the energy transition, Urbasolar offers a complete turnkey offer, including the production and supply of electricity from renewable sources. Stéphanie has over 20 years of expertise in the development and financing of solar photovoltaic projects. Previously, she served as CEO of the Apex-BP Solar group, after a successful experience within Ernst & Young. In addition, she is also Foreign Trade Advisor for the French government and was appointed Ambassador for Gender Equality by the Secretary of State for Equality between Men and Women.

Moderators

Marian Willuhn | Senior editor, pv magazine