Tracking Through the Storm: Outsmarting Hail in Solar PV Systems

Recording of Wednesday, May 07, 2025 | The smarter E Europe | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 13:52 .

Speaker

Giosue Maugeri
Researcher
Ricerca sul sistema Energetico - RSE SpA
Italy

Talk of session: Utility-Scale Solar Power III: Impacts of Extreme Weather on PV Power Plants

The increase in frequency and intensity of severe weather events associated with global climate change poses a growing risk to PV systems worldwide. These local and global risks range from outright destruction of power plants to long-term performance losses due to accelerated component and system degradation. Without concerted and event-specific resilience strategies, severe weather increasingly threatens the robustness and availability of PV generation worldwide. This session will: Raise awareness of climate change and its implications for a solar-intensive energy economy Present a range of extreme-weather events that can impact PV power plants and identify/quantify the risks Share strategies for designing and siting storm-resilient PV systems Provide information on failure mechanisms and their root causes.

Further Talks of this session:

Mapping Decisions Along the Value Chain: Who Gives a Watt?

Speaker

Ulrike Jahn
Senior Scientist
Fraunhofer Center for Silicon-Photovoltaics CSP
Germany

To Talk

Trends in Extreme Weather and Their Implications for Solar-Energy Generation

Speaker

Dr. Laurie Burnham
Principal Member of the Technical Staff
Sandia National Laboratories
United States

To Talk

Quantifying the Impact of Dust and Snow on PV Power Plants

Speaker

Thore Müller
CEO
PVRADAR Labs GmbH
Germany

To Talk

Gone With the Wind(Storm): Keeping Your PV Systems Grounded in Extreme Weather

Speaker

Prof. Leonardo Micheli
Associate Professor
Sapienza University of Rome
Italy

To Talk

Panel Discussion

Speaker

Jonathan Leloux
Managing Director
LuciSun
Belgium

To Talk

Partners & Sponsors

Further Content

Webinar

Green Hydrogen & PV in Brazil: 24/7 Renewable Energy Opportunities in the Northeast

March 26, 2026

Explore how Brazil advances toward 24/7 clean energy by combining solar power and green hydrogen.

Webinar Collection

Growth of the European Solar Market, Specifically, Romania

February 24, 2026

Webinar: EU Solar Market Overview with Focus on Romania

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025

Digital Tools for Planning and Monitoring: Insights from Mozambique

Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 02:00 pm - 03:30 pm

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program

This session explores how digitalization is revolutionizing off-grid energy projects, enabling scalability and efficiency in underserved areas. Experts will discuss cutting-edge solutions based on the use and application of digital tools to support planning, development, and operations ultimately enhancing affordability. Attendees will gain insights into leveraging digital tools for optimized planning and project management, customer engagement, monitoring, and sustainable growth. Real-world case studies will highlight successful implementations, showcasing how technology bridges the gap between innovation and impact in energy access.

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025

Optimizing Island Energy Systems: Modeling Hydrogen Integration in the Asia-Pacific

Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 02:00 pm - 03:30 pm

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025

Panel Discussion of of the Session Off-Grid: When Will Off-Grid PV Follow the Affordability Trend?(BSW)

Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 04:00 pm - 05:30 pm

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program

Photovoltaic prices have fallen continuously in recent years - a trend that should translate into a growing market for off-grid solutions. Declining costs are crucial for rural electrification in particular, making sustainable energy supply economically viable in remote regions. However, so far many of these price advantages have not yet reached the people that need them most. Do existing framework conditions to foster rural electrification still work in this new market reality? Which measures are needed to ensure that cost reductions reach our target group? This session discusses strategies for improving the availability of low-cost off-grid solutions, financing and innovative business models. A look at successful practical examples shows which political, economic and technological levers need to be pulled to make off-grid PV accessible on a large scale.