Solarplaza Summit | Greece

The current governmental and economic transformations are crucial for the future of the Greek energy market. National objectives and targets, as well as technological advances, keep shaping the landscape at a rapid speed. This session examines how the future of the Greek energy sector is being shaped, what parameters will impact it and how it compares to other EU countries.

Professor Dr. Phoebe Koundouri will speak about the SDSN Global Climate Hub, which operates as a specialized network within the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN SDSN), with a mission to provide science-based recommendations for combating the climate crisis and preventing further deterioration. 

The SDSN Global Climate Hub uses extensive data, knowledge, and technologies provided by experts in various fields to implement country-specific action plans to be adopted and reinforced by society. The 9 Units of the SDSN GCH represent the stages that a country should go through in order to achieve the design and implementation of detailed climate neutrality and climate resilience pathways.  

This session will pay special attention to the 3 technology accelerators we run and also showcase some of the energy-climate neutral and resilient pathways the SDSN Global Climate Hub has developed for EU-27, which will later in the year presented at COP28 during the official launch of UN SDSN Global Climate Hub Energy Decarbonisation Pathways - Europe and the Balkans.

Storage solutions can provide new market opportunities for renewable energy by enabling greater integration of intermittent renewable sources into the grid, while supporting mitigation of variability of renewable energy production, providing a stable and reliable supply of electricity. Challenges associated with greater integration of intermittent renewable sources into the grid and the crucial role that safety, technology, and reliability of storage systems play in addressing these challenges.

Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have emerged as a popular mechanism for stimulating the energy transition. However, when entering a long term agreement it is essential for all parties involved to be proactive and well-informed about the risks and considerations of drafting and negotiating PPAs. This session will deep dive into PPAs from the following angles

While the energy market is on a steep trajectory of growth, its future is not set in stone. The emergence of novel technologies bring unprecedented opportunities, but simultaneously high power prices across Europe may be obscuring the impacts of price cannibalization threatening the future profitability of renewable energy. This session will examine the risks and most viable short- and long-term solutions for a steady and profitable market growth

The presentation will give insight into the implementation of the 50 MW / 25 MWh Kells plant in Northern Ireland. It is an NMC-Battery Energy Storage System, providing ancillary services under the “DS 3 scheme” to the transmission system operators EirGrid and SONI. This plant has been in operation since October 2022. Furthermore, experience will be shared with the development and implementation of 4 Solar-Battery-hybrid Projects (each 1.5 – 8.7 MWp PV / 0.5 – 2.9 MW BESS), realized under the German “EEG Innovation Auction” scheme, and the implementation of 3 German stand-alone projects (1 x 12MW/12 MWh and 2 x 16MW/16MWh)