Recording of Tuesday, June 23, 2026 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Language: English | Duration: 11:06 .

The Future of Solar and Storage in Energy Transition

By 2060, solar energy is projected to generate nearly 50% of global electricity, increasing electricity's share of final energy demand from 20% to over 40%. This transition poses challenges as solar and storage become critical infrastructure, requiring reliability, safety, and resilience against threats like cyber risks. Procurement teams prioritize durability but often rely on subjective assessments due to the absence of straightforward tests for module longevity, balancing cost-efficiency with reliability. The industry must shift from measuring only upfront costs to integrating reliability into the design and manufacturing process to ensure dependability. Smart, data-driven approaches are essential for maximizing system reliability, enabling early detection of issues and proactive maintenance. Safety in storage systems is crucial due to inherent risks, necessitating robust standards and cybersecurity measures, especially as energy systems become more interconnected. Overall, the future of solar and storage will emphasize quality, resilience, and trustworthiness to enhance grid operations and investor confidence.

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Speaker

Lucy Craig
SVP and Head of Growth Strategy, Digital & Data Solutions, Energy Systems
DNV
Norway

Talk of session: Solar Power Plants and Storage III: Making Solar Systems Smart and Cyber Safe - Digitalization, AI and the Future of O&M and Asset Management

Digitalization and AI are transforming solar-plus storage operations. From digital twins and predictive analytics to automated dispatch, performance optimization and drone based system health monitoring, smart tools are rapidly advancing, enhancing O&M and asset management. At the same time, the growing connectivity raises cybersecurity risks. This session explores how to unlock data-driven value while keeping PV and battery assets secure and resilient.

This session will address:

• Digital twins and AI-driven performance optimization for PV and storage
• Predictive maintenance and advanced analytics in O&M
• Data integration across development, construction and operations
• Cybersecurity risks, standards and best practices for connected energy assets

Further Talks of this session:

The Future of Solar & Bos Site Management Based on Aerial Data & Monitoring Systems

Speaker

Stanislas van der Vaeren
Managing Director
Sitemark
Belgium

To Talk

Beyond Monitoring: How Data Integration Enables Reliable Solar & Storage Performance

Speaker

Swarup Mavanoor
CEO
SenseHawk, Inc.
USA

To Talk

PV Cybersecurity: NIS2 Compliance at Realistic Cost

Speaker

Uri Sadot
Managing Director
SolarDefend
Israel

To Talk

Panel Discussion: Smart, Secure, Scalable: What Will Define the Next Generation of Solar & Storage Asset Management?

To Talk