Wednesday 8 July 2026
Pre-Conference Networking Event
The Solarplaza experience returns to the spectacular Adèle Mixology Lounge! We’re kicking off the summit with an evening of high-impact networking set against Rome’s most iconic 360-degree skyline.
This is where the conference truly begins. Join fellow industry leaders to spark new collaborations and align strategies in a sophisticated rooftop setting. Don’t miss this signature pre-conference dinner—the perfect atmosphere to turn early introductions into powerful partnerships before we dive into the main event.
Thursday 9 July 2026
Registration & welcome coffee
Nicola Kopij Zanin, CFA
Solarplaza
Session 1
Italy’s rapid expansion of solar is correlated with the rise of energy storage, creating a powerful and mutually reinforcing partnership. This opening presentation explores why the “marriage” between solar and storage is not just convenient but essential for Italy’s evolving energy landscape. We unpack market drivers, regulatory shifts, and the long‑term value this pairing brings to both grid stability and investor confidence.
Paolo Rocco Viscontini
ITALIA SOLARE
The Italian TSO's ambitious grid‑modernization plan is set to reshape Italy’s power system for decades, with major implications for investors across the energy value chain. This session unpacks how expanded transmission capacity, digitalization, and grid reinforcement will influence project economics, risk profiles, and long‑term market opportunities. Attendees will gain clarity on where capital is likely to flow—and why early positioning matters.
Italy’s accelerating energy transition is creating a crowded pipeline of utility‑scale PV and storage projects, but not all assets are attracting the same level of investor confidence. This panel explores how capital is being allocated, which project characteristics are emerging as bankable, and how developers can position themselves in a market shaped by grid constraints, permitting complexity, and evolving revenue models.
Even Kvelland
Glint Solar
Roxana Serban
Encavis
Cristina Brandozzi
ENGIE
Enzo Mastroianni
Uniper Renewables
Morning networking break
Session 2A
IPPs and investors are increasingly shaped by land‑use constraints, agricultural integration requirements, and the growing sophistication of co‑development partnerships. This presentation examines where large‑scale PV and hybrid projects can realistically be built, how agri‑PV is reshaping the permitting and investment landscape, and why co‑development agreements are becoming a strategic necessity. Understand how developers can secure sites, align with landowners and local stakeholders, and structure partnerships that survive Italy’s regulatory and grid‑connection realities.
Tommaso Barbetti
Elemens
As BESS markets evolve across Europe, revenue stacks are shifting rapidly, with changing contributions from ancillary services, wholesale markets, and emerging mechanisms such as MACSE. In this context, robust forecasting and adaptive trading strategies are becoming essential to capture value and support bankable project structures.
This presentation explores how developers and operators can combine day-ahead and intraday trading opportunities with ancillary services to build resilient and dynamic revenue stacks. We will focus on how to anticipate market changes, optimize dispatch based on price signals and forecasts, and align technical performance with market exposure.
Attendees will gain a practical framework for navigating evolving revenue streams, identifying high-value trading opportunities, and structuring BESS assets to enhance both returns and long-term project robustness.
Rachel Locquet
Clean Horizon
Italy’s MACSE auctions have attracted intense competition, driving bids to record‑low levels and raising questions about whether winners can realistically deliver profitable projects. At weighted average clearing prices of €12,959/MWh-year, will MACSE winners make economics behind their projects work? This panel examines the economic viability behind these ultra‑competitive bids, exploring cost assumptions, operational risks, and long‑term revenue expectations.
Tiziano Caizzi
BW ESS
Eugenio Proietti
Eni Plenitude Società Benefit
Rocco Mauro
Ze Energy
Silvia Concettini
Aurora Energy Research
Session 2B
This joint presentation explores the landmark long-term tolling agreement between Zelestra and BKW to deliver a massive 2 GWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Northern Italy. It will highlight how this first-of-its-kind financial model guarantees revenue predictability while providing the grid flexibility necessary to support Italy's transition to renewable energy.
Martina Nicodemo
BKW Energy
This debate tackles the contentious role of state intervention in Italy's renewable energy sector, questioning whether current subsidies accelerate the green transition or artificially skew the market. Industry leader Alessandro Migliorini and free-market economist Carlo Stagnaro will debate over the delicate balance between necessary government support for decarbonization and the risk of economic distortion.
Nicola Kopij Zanin, CFA
Solarplaza
Alessandro Migliorini
European Energy
Carlo Stagnaro
Istituto Bruno Leoni
Networking lunch break
Session 3A
Gerard Reid explores how the global shift from centralized fossil fuels to decentralized, electrified power is fundamentally reshaping national security and economic competitiveness. Successfully navigating this volatile landscape requires "smart capital"—strategic investments that combine clean hardware, intelligent software, and modern grid infrastructure to build highly resilient, localized energy systems.
Gerard Reid
Alexa Capital
Italy’s power markets is turning faster and more data‑driven. High‑frequency and low‑latency trading strategies are emerging as a critical lever for maximizing returns from both standalone BESS and hybrid renewable‑plus‑storage portfolios. This presentation explores how algorithmic dispatch, real‑time market signals, and advanced forecasting can unlock new layers of value in the Italian intraday and balancing markets.
Michele Pissarello
Entrix
As developers face increasing pressure to reduce upfront CAPEX and improve financing certainty, alternative structures are gaining relevance in the Italian BESS market.
This presentation explores Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) as a vendor financing model that replaces upfront investment with structured OPEX payments. It outlines how this approach can support project execution, improve bankability, and enable more efficient capital allocation across storage portfolios.
Ruben Valiente
Maxxen
Which projects have the highest chances of securing long-term project finance in a volatile power market? Lenders are selective about which renewable and storage projects merit long‑term project finance. This panel explores the characteristics that make certain assets more resilient. From revenue stability and grid‑readiness to sponsor strength and contractual structures. Financiers will present the project profiles most likely to secure financing in today’s uncertain environment and explain why.
Giovanni Paolo Di Giovanni
JLL
Luca Matrone
Intesa Sanpaolo
Francesco Lucarini
Rabobank
Pedro Capote-Martín
NORD/LB
Session 3B
This presentation explores how operators can structure contracts, manage merchant exposure, and navigate regulatory complexity to de‑risk their portfolios. Gain practical insights into building resilient commercial strategies that withstand price swings and policy shifts.
Dario Gallanti
Our New Energy
This session lays out a clear, actionable playbook for structuring hedges that stabilize cash flows while preserving upside. You'll walk away with a framework applicable directly to development, financing, and asset‑management decisions.
This panel explores how developers, traders, and corporate buyers can leverage current market conditions to structure PPAs and tolling agreements that capture more value while managing exposure. Experts will debate which commercial strategies are best positioned to thrive in this faster, deeper market environment.
Stefano Cavriani
EGO Energy
Pepe Zaforteza
Pexapark
Alice Cajani
Enfinity Global
You Zhou
DXT Commodities
Afternoon networking break
Session 4
This presentation explores how asset owners can leverage the latest hardware and software innovations to boost efficiency, extend asset life, and ultimately achieve superior ROI.
Hybridization is rapidly becoming a strategic advantage rather than a niche design choice. 20%-30% of Italian utility-scale BESS projects already include on-site solar. This presentation explores how co‑located solar can enhance revenue stability, reduce grid‑dependency, and unlock new operational synergies for storage assets. Attendees will learn how to optimize hybrid configurations to maximize value across both regulated and merchant markets.
Valerio Covicchio
WHES
Nicola Kopij Zanin, CFA
Solarplaza
Networking drinks
Got questions?
We’ve got you covered — explore our most frequently asked questions about Solarplaza Summit Italy!
Send us an email; we’d be more than happy to help.
Domenica Rodà
Senior Event Manager
For questions about the program and content of the event:
[email protected]
Nicola Kopij Zanin
Freelance Project Manager
For questions about the program and content of the event:
[email protected]
Santiago Guillon Margozzini
Business Developer
For questions regarding partnership opportunities:
[email protected]