[Conference] SMM Net Zero Europe2025 Wrap-up: Exploring Opportunities in Europe’s Energy Transition

The 2025 (3rd) Net Zero Europe: Solar & Energy Storage Summit, organized by SMM and supported by ACCIÓ- Catalonia Trade & Investment (Government of Catalonia), wrapped up at the Hilton Barcelona Hotel in Barcelona, Spain on November 4.

This summit focuses on PV, ESS, and power grid modernization, aiming to establish an efficient communication platform for industry elites to forge consensus, integrate resources, explore technological innovation directions together with the industry chain, seek industrial cooperation opportunities, and share forward-looking insights into zero-carbon transition, thereby jointly injecting stronger impetus into Europe's energy transformation!

During the two-day exciting conference, guests engaged in intense and in-depth brainstorming sessions around a series of key topics:

• From China to Europe: Decoding the New Chapter of Global PV Fundamentals, exploring the development trends of the global PV industry
• GW-Scale Solar+Storage: Building Bankable Projects, addressing the core challenges of implementing large projects
• The Success Code of Spanish Solar+Storage: Policy, Execution & Next Frontiers, uncovering unique regional development experiences
• Grid Congestion: Challenges & Solutions in the Solar Era, confronting the real-world obstacles in the energy transition.

Additionally, the event focused on the deep connection between module innovation and project profitability, and discussed the following topics:

• Module Innovations: Boosting Project Profitability
• From Paper to Reality in BESS Projects
• Market Challenges for European Solar Distributors: Inventory Management & Pricing Strategies
• PPAs & Merchant Risk: New Strategies for Volatile Markets
• Enabling Distributed Energy in Spain – Policy & Grid Readiness
• Sustainability and Circular Economy: Responsible Sourcing, Recycling, and Second-Life Strategies for Battery Packs
• Women Leadership Panel: Harnessing Her Power: Leading Europe's Solar+Storage Revolution
• BESS Integration: Optimizing Solar+Storage
• PV O&M: Reducing Levelized Cost of Energy
• Current Status and Opportunities in the Global ESS Market

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November 3

Opening Speech

Adam Fan, Chairman of SMM

Award Ceremony

SMM Global Tier 1 Suppliers Awards

SMM x European Solar Awards 2025

November 3

Keynote Speech:

Next-Generation PV from a Scientific Perspective

Speaker:

Dr. Frank Dimroth, Head of department "III-V Photovoltaics and Concentrator Technology", Fraunhofer Institute

Keynote Speech:

From China to Europe: Decoding the Next Chapter of Global PV Fundamentals

Speaker:

Viola Jin, Director of Global Solar Commercial, SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd.

Leadership Panel: GW-Scale Solar+Storage: Building Bankable Projects

Moderator:

Antonio Jose Montoto Rojo, Head of Storage, Greenvolt Power

Panelists:

Dhruv Menon, CFO of Ampyr Solar Europe

Jens Gobel, Co-Founder of AXO Energy

Nick Forster, Head of Structured Finance at NTR

Henrik Tuveson, Strategic Market Development Senior Manager for Latin America at Wärtsilä Energy Storage

The panelists exchanged insights on topics including Spanish auctions and risk management experience, strategies when power purchase agreements are insufficient, commercial risk practices, how to avoid power rationing traps, balancing capital expenditure costs and quality, and ensuring project financing feasibility.

Keynote Speech:

The Core Driver of C&I Energy Storage: Reliability and Profitability through Active Balancing

Speaker:

Illion Wu, Overseas Manager at BMSer Technology (diamond sponsor)

Leadership Panel: The Success Code of Spanish Solar+Storage: Policy, Execution & Next Frontiers

Moderator:

Alejandro Labanda, Director of Ecologic Transition at beBartlet

Panelists:

Daniel Roca, Managing Director at BayWa r.e. Solar Distribution / ES

Tomás García, Senior Director, Energy & Infrastructure Advisory at JLL

Sergio Arbeláez, Managing Director, Europe & Latam at Matrix Renewables

Juan Luis Cantón, Country Head for Spain at Lightsource bp

Manuel de Castro Zurita, Managing Partner at Blacksalt

The guests discussed the challenges faced by existing PV power plants in the electricity market, solutions to promote PV project development, ESS: new market signals and process simplification, and the missing links in the reform of self-consumption regulations.

Panel: Grid Congestion: Challenges & Solutions in the Solar Era

Moderator:

Josefin Berg, Associate Director: Renewables Markets - Energy Transition Sustainability and Services at S&P Global Commodity Insights

Panelists:

Alvaro Sanz, Global Head of Development at ENERSIDE ENERGY

Gerard Scheper, CEO of European Solar

Anna Casas Llopart, Head of Flexibility at Octopus Energy Group

Iñigo Viani, General Manager Qair Iberia at Qair

The panelists shared detailed insights on hot topics such as the grid congestion paradox: solar surplus, capacity shortage; technical fixes: five ways to alleviate grid congestion; congestion hotspots: Europe's grid bottleneck areas; grid-supporting projects: can ESS and inverters accelerate project approval?; distribution system operators and developers: building a new-type collaborative model beyond paperwork; business models: who bears the congestion costs?; and the future grid: centralized or cellular?

Keynote Speech:

How to Find A Reliable ESS Partner for Your Project(C&l)

Speaker:

Ralf Betkerowitz, Chief Product Officer - Europe, Pylon Technologies (Coffee Break Sponsor)

Panel: Module Innovations: Enhancing Project Profitability

Moderator:

Carlos Albero, Market Area Manager Iberia, DNV

Panelists:

Cathy Huang, General Manager of Jolywood Europe (Italy), Jolywood

Carlos Magistris, Head of Technical Service at Jinko Solar Co., Ltd.

Dr. Frank Dimroth, Head of department "III-V Photovoltaics and Concentrator Technology" at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

Kirill Trokhin, Project Development & Engineering Lead at Sungreenenergy

The panelists engaged in detailed exchanges and sharing on three key aspects: the optimal combination of bifacial modules and trackers; module mismatch in large projects and how to avoid costly over-sizing or performance shortfalls; and module procurement strategies for balancing bankability, warranties, and supply stability.

Keynote Speech:

From Paper to Reality in BESS Projects

Speaker:

Michael Strobel, Business Director Europe, Great Power(Associate Sponsor)

Panel: Market Challenges for European Solar Distributors: Inventory Management and Pricing Strategies

Moderator:

Alfonso Pontes Jiménez, Manager, Deloitte

Panelists:

Daniel Roca, Managing Director, BayWa r.e.

Carlos Moreira, EDP Client Solutions Board Member, EDP

The panelists shared their experiences and thoughts on the market challenges faced by European solar distributors: inventory management and pricing strategies, from supply deficit to inventory pressure: the current state of the European solar market, to cut prices or maintain stability? Strategic choices for distributors, and the 2025 outlook for European solar distribution.

Keynote Speech:

From European Grids to Guyanese Mines: Go Greener, Go Zero

Speaker:

Alex Day, Sales Director, Poweroad ESS (Silver Sponsor)

Panel: PPAs & Merchant Risk: New Strategies for Volatile Markets

Moderator:
Tresi Kacadej, Senior Originator, Vattenfall

Panelists:

Richard Hardy, Project Director, Xlinks

Stefano Breda, Chief Product Officer, Zelestra

Jorge Arenillas Gay, VP Global Energy Management, Sonnedix

Bhavuk Chugh, Director, Northern Europe, Centrica Energy

The panelists discussed the following topics:

• Financial Hedging Tools: From Caps to Virtual PPAs
• Corporate PPAs in Crisis? Navigating the €40-55/MWh Price Trap
• Policy Backstops: How CfDs Are Reshaping Risk Appetite
• CfDs, Auctions & Policy Floors: Will Governments Become the New Risk Managers?
• Going Merchant? Lessons from Spain, Italy & Germany’s Rollercoaster Markets

November 4

Keynote Speech:

Connecting Projects to the Grid 2025

Speaker:

Dimitrios Moudouris, Head of Construction -UK, Cero Generation

Energy Storage in the UK

The application of electricity ESS is crucial for achieving a zero-carbon emission future. Here are several key reasons:

Addressing Growing Power Demand: According to a report jointly released by the Net Zero Centre, electricity demand from UK consumers is expected to increase by approximately 50% by 2035. This indicates that existing power grids may face significant pressure, while energy storage systems can help balance supply and demand and ensure stable supply.

Addressing the Intermittency and Unpredictability of Renewable Energy: After more than two decades of applying renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, in the UK power system, we have gained a deep understanding of the fluctuating nature of these energy sources. Energy storage technology can store energy when these resources are in surplus and release it during periods of undersupply, thereby smoothing the output curve.

Enhancing Grid Stability and Reliability: By rapidly responding to changes in frequency and voltage, energy storage devices can effectively prevent grid failures or interruptions. They can absorb excess electricity during peak periods and release stored energy during off-peak hours, thereby alleviating grid pressure and improving overall operational efficiency.

Providing Emergency Backup Power Supply: In the event of natural disasters or other incidents that may cause power outages, energy storage facilities can serve as reliable backup power sources, ensuring the continuous operation of critical infrastructure and services.

Promoting Localized Benefits: Deploying battery energy storage units near high electricity consumption areas can not only reduce the need for long-distance power transmission but also avoid large-scale expansion of traditional power transmission networks, thereby lowering construction and maintenance costs.

Leadership Panel: Enabling Distributed Energy in Spain – Policy & Grid Readiness

Moderator:

Jorge Andrey Sterner, Partner and Co-founder of Samso

Panelists:

Miguel Galatas, COO and Co-founder, nTeaser

Laura Moreno, Executive Management, ENTRA Agregación y Flexibilidad

Antoni Franquesa, Director of Energy Transition, FACTOR ENERGIA

Carlota Pi, Co-founder and CEO, Holaluz

Nicolas Daunis, General Manager, GreenYellow Spain

The guests shared insights on topics including:

• Unlocking Rooftop Solar: Spain’s New Net-Metering Rules
• Grid Fees Reform: Incentive or Barrier for Prosumers?
• Behind-the-Meter Storage: Policy Gaps & Business Models
• Energy Communities: Policy Promise vs Implementation Hurdles

Keynote Speech:

Sustainability and Circular Economy: Responsible Sourcing, Recycling, and Second-Life Strategies for Battery Packs

Speaker:

Lucía Dólera, Business Development Manager, JinkoSolar

Women Leadership Panel: Harnessing Her Power: Leading Europe's Solar+Storage Revolution

Moderator:

Tresi Kacadej, Senior Originator, Vattenfall

Panelists:

Maria Merry del Val, Board Member, Grenergy

Carmen Izquierdo, CEO and Co-founder, nTeaser

Carlota Pi, Co-founder and CEO, Holaluz

Catalina Bauza, Strategic Partnerships Director, Maxxen

Maria Sansigre, Managing Partner, IONICA

Estefania Orellana, Business Development Manager LTSA AFEU, Wärtsilä Energy Storage

The guests discussed topics as below:

• Coding the Sun: Women in Renewable Tech Innovation
• She Powers Europe: Female-Led Grid Modernization
• From Solar Panels to Board Panels: Women Taking Charge
• Lessons from the Field: Women’s Journeys in Solar+Storage

Panel Discussion: BESS Integration: Optimizing Solar+Storage

Moderator:

Lluís Millet, Energy Storage Lead Consultant, One Hub Energy

Panelists:

Jan Fousek, CEO, AKU-BAT CZ (Association for Energy Storage)

David Post, Head of Energy Storage Solutions, Enel X

Michael Strobel, Business Director Europe, Great Power

Susana Gómez, Head of Origination & Producers Representation, Nexus Energia

Luis Manuel Santos Moro, Public Affairs Manager for Spain, EDP

The guests engaged in lively discussions on topics below:

• 2h vs 4h Storage: Arbitrage vs Grid Services
• VPP Business Models: Aggregators, Developers & Grid Operators
• Revenue Models for Storage – Energy Arbitrage to Grid Services
• Storage-as-a-Service: How Europe’s First Grid-Scale BESS Leasing Model Cuts CAPEX by 40%
• BESS Economics Unlocked: From Peak Shaving to Ancillary Services Goldmine

Panel Discussion: PV O&M: Reducing Levelized Cost of Energy

Moderator:

Alejandro Labanda, Director of Ecologic Transition, beBartlet

Panelists:

Jonás de Miguel, Senior Director O&M, EMEA & APAC, Recurrent Energy

Paolo Sammartino, Chief Operating Officer, Renexia

Aimee Besant, Head of Energy Storage, OWC

Fredrik Stigebrandt, Co-Founder and Technical Director, Energy Tech Nordic

The guests elaborated on the following topics:

• AI & Drones: Smarter Inspections
• Cleaning Strategies: Water, Robots, or Coatings?
• Inverter Maintenance: Predicting Failures Before They Happen
• Data Analytics: Turning Raw Numbers into Actionable Insights

Keynote Speech:

Current Status and Opportunities in the Global ESS Market

Speaker:

Lesley Yang, Senior Lithium Battery Analyst, SMM

Cocktail & Tea Break Highlights

Special Thanks to BMSer Technology and Pylontech for Their Strong Support of the 2025 European Lithium Battery Summit! Cocktails and Tea Breaks Infused the On-site Exchanges with Full Vitality, Allowing Delegates to Deepen Communication in a Relaxed Atmosphere and Lay a Solid Foundation for Cooperation~

With this, the 2025 (3rd) Net Zero Europe: Solar & Energy Storage Summit has wrapped up successfully.

We extend our sincere gratitude to all industry peers for their strong support!

See you next year!