Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 16:56 .

Exploring Co-Location Opportunities and Challenges in Europe's Renewable Energy Landscape

Rebecca McManus, leading the renewable analysis at Aurora Energy Research's European Power Markets Research Team, discusses co-location in Europe. Co-location is gaining traction due to its potential to mitigate risks associated with standalone assets and leverage opportunities for growth in renewables. The presentation outlines key drivers behind Europe's significant build-out of over 290 gigawatts of renewable capacity: increasing power demand driven by electrification and data centers, supportive policies including subsidies, thermal phase-outs like coal closures creating gaps filled by renewables, and cost reductions particularly in solar technology. Looking forward to 2050, expectations are set for a substantial increase reaching over 1,800 gigawatts despite challenges such as market saturation risk—evident through negative price impacts—and development hurdles related to grid connections and supply chains. Policy-related barriers also exist; however, momentum is building with targets supporting storage solutions alongside specific tenders for co-located projects. McManus highlights four main opportunities from portfolio diversification across markets using different technologies to hedging against price volatility through combined asset strategies. A Hungarian case study illustrates enhanced revenue streams when integrating battery storage into solar projects compared to standalone setups—a testament to the strategic advantage offered by co-location within Europe's evolving energy landscape.

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Speaker

Rebecca McManus
Research Associate
Aurora Energy Research
Germany

Talk of session: Hybrid PV Power Plants I: Enhancing Grid Flexibility with PV, Wind & Battery Storage

Grid congestion, curtailment and increasing occurrence of negative electricity prices have spread across Europe as the growth of intermittent renewables has reached significant levels and continues to grow.A key to solving these challenges lies in flexibility. Hybrid PV power plants -which combine solar with wind and storage - are emerging as a critical solution for both existing and new projects. This session will explore the market potential, framework conditions, and outlook for hybrid solar-based energy systems in Europe. This session will provide: Key drivers for hybrid solar plant development in Europe Challenges and opportunities for project implementation Policy frameworks supporting solar-based hybrid power plants in the EU Market outlook for hybrid PV power plants.

Further Talks of this session:

Welcome & Introduction

Speaker

Bruce Douglas
CEO
Global Renewables Alliance
Belgium

To Talk

Flexibility for Energy Systems Through Hybrid Solar Based Solutions

Speaker

Carlos Perez Linkenheil
Head of Market Analysis Germany
AFRY Management Consulting
Germany

Video is not available.

Unlocking the Potential of Renewable-Storage Hybrids

Speaker

Ulrike Gunnemann
Head of Storage & Hybrids
BayWa r.e. AG
Germany

To Talk

When Do Hybrid PV Projects Become Mainstream in Europe?

Speaker

Cecilie Kristiansen
Research Associate
Wood Mackenzie
United Kingdom

To Talk

Panel Discussion: How to Unlock the Gigantic Flexibility Potenial of Solar-Hybrid Power Plants?

Speaker

To Talk