Recording of Monday, June 22, 2026 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Language: English | Duration: 10:27 .

Advancements and Challenges in Solar Energy Project Development

The solar and storage plant development sector is undergoing a critical evolution, moving its focus from merely increasing capacity to enhancing project viability under real-world constraints like permitting and financing. Insights from PVKs indicate that the market has grown significantly from 2023 to 2024 but stabilized by 2025, highlighting a maturing landscape. Challenges such as inadequate technical development, financing difficulties, and complex stakeholder processes lead to project failures. A survey of 400 solar specialists revealed essential pressure points affecting project bankability and buildability. Early design accuracy and the integration of engineering disciplines—civil, structural, and electrical—are paramount for success, helping to mitigate risks associated with site conditions and regulatory compliance. Furthermore, generic software tools contribute to data risks and project disconnects, emphasizing the need for improved integration and efficient workflows. Overcoming these challenges requires adaptability and proactive risk management to sustain growth in the solar energy sector.

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Speaker

Ana Conde
Head of Product Marketing
PVcase
Lithuania

Talk of session: Solar Power Plants and Storage I: From Concept to Commissioning - Development and Building Strategies for PV Power Plants in a Changing Market

While most new PV deployment in Europe is now utility scale, development and construction arebecoming more complex. The combination of grid congestion, curtailment, slower permit approvals and reduced capture prices is squeezing profit margins while storage integration, cost versus performance considerations and climate adaptation measures are transforming project design and financing. This session examines how developers and EPCs accommodate their strategies from concept to commissioning in order to deliver bankable, future-proof solar-plus storage assets.

Key topics:

• Development of strategies in the face of grid and cost pressure
• EPC best practices
• Automation and digital tools for system construction
• Storage integration and co-location design
• Contracting, risk allocation and bankability

Further Talks of this session:

Digital Decision Matrix for PV Project Management

Speaker

Dr. David Moser
Managing Director
Becquerel Institute
Belgium

To Talk

Optimized System Designs for PV + BESS Hybrid Power Plants

Speaker

Johannes Linder
Director System Design & Innovation
BELECTRIC GmbH
Germany

To Talk

Modeling Hybrid Plants to Ensure Project Bankabillity

Speaker

Dr. Aitor Makibar
Energy Storage Lead, EMEA
UL Solutions
Spain

To Talk

Q&A

To Talk