Solarplaza Summit | Portugal

Thursday 21 September 2023

19:00

Pre-Conference Networking Event

Friday 22 September 2023

Program


SESSION 1

Market Outlook for a Dynamic Solar Landscape

08:30

Registration & Welcome Coffee

30 min.

Session Topics:
09:00

Conference Kick-Off

presentation

15 min.

Why invest in Portuguese solar, conference goals and networking opportunities
Session Topics:
09:15

Opening Keynote on Powering the Future: Portugal’s Government Roadmap for Solar Energy Development

presentation

30 min.

Session Topics:
09:45

Shining a Light on Solar Development in Portugal: Insights from Expert Developers

panel

30 min.

Portugal boasts the highest solar irradiation in Europe, but size limitations, bureaucratic bottlenecks and labour/supply constraints impact the continuous growth of solar in the country. How are developers working to overcome these challenges and ensure the development of projects that are feasible, cost-effective, and complies with relevant regulations and permits?

Session Topics:
  • Site selection and land use planning
  • Permitting, regulatory compliance, and environmental assessments
  • Grid connection and transmission infrastructure
10:20

Morning Networking Break

Session Topics:

SESSION 2

Navigating the Grid, PPAs & Self-Consumption Markets

11:10

Breaking the Gridlock: Strategies for Overcoming Solar Energy Grid Capacity Bottlenecks

panel

40 min.

In just a few years, Portuguese grid operators went from having less than 10GW in their pipeline of projects requesting grid capacity to over 250GW by the end of 2020. This influx of projects has overwhelmed the government who is also looking to increase the targets for solar in the NECP (national energy and climate plan). What will the future for solar licensing look like and what are the plans to overcome the current bottlenecks in order to reach these ambitious goals?
Session Topics:
  • Overview of the current for acquiring more grid connections in Portugal
  • Best practices for designing and implementing renewable energy projects to optimize grid connections
  • Future prediction models on grid availability and what this means for the industry
11:50

PPAs: Insights from Offtakers on the Future of Solar PPAs

panel

40 min.

Successful PPA transactions can serve as a powerful engine for solar energy investments in the country. Join this roundtable where offtakers will share their perspective with the audience on how they assess PPAs. This session will cover key aspects of these agreements and their potential to drive the growth of the Portuguese solar energy market.
Session Topics:
  • PPA Market Outlook
  • Contracting & Pricing Strategies
  • Best practices for designing and negotiating effective PPAs
  • Case studies of a PPA transaction from the offtaker’s perspective
12:30

Beyond Utility-Scale: Exploring Self-Consumption and the C&I Market

presentation

30 min.

Session Topics:
13:00

Networking Lunch

Session Topics:

SESSION 3

Innovations in Solar: Storage, Hydrogen, Floating, Agri-PV and more

14:15

Charged Up: Should Every Solar Park Include Energy Storage?

presentation

30 min.

The growth of the PV and wind markets offers numerous advantages, but it also puts a strain on the electricity grid. The use of intermittent energy in an increasingly overloaded grid calls for solutions to ensure the renewable energy industry can continue to expand and meet the nation's energy requirements. Energy storage is one such solution. This session will explore the benefits and challenges of energy storage and its potential to drive the growth of the solar energy sector in Portugal.

Session Topics:
  • Real case study of ESS implementation
  • Discussion on key factors for selecting and sizing energy storage systems
  • Regulatory framework and policies supporting energy storage integration in Portugal
14:45

Harvesting the Sun: The Benefits and Challenges of Agri-PV for Solar Energy Development

presentation

30 min.

Explore how combining agriculture with solar power generation can benefit renewable energy developers and farmers in Portugal. Learn about successful case studies, opportunities and challenges, as well as technical and regulatory considerations.
Session Topics:
  • Overview of agrivoltaics and its benefits
  • Case studies of successful agrivoltaics projects in Europe
  • Technical and regulatory considerations for developers interested in implementing agrivoltaics in Portugal.
15:15

Afternoon Networking Break

Session Topics:

SESSION 4

Investments and Bankability

16:00

Energy Trading 101: Navigating an Increasingly Volatile Market

presentation

30 min.

The increase of intermittent power such as wind and solar in the grid result in a more volatile energy market and a greater difficulty in price forecasting. Staying up to date on the best strategies to excel in the energy trading market is essential to avoid greater financial risks and to remain an active participant in the buying and selling of renewable electricity.
Session Topics:
  • How to improve the forecasting of renewable energy production
  • Short-term vs long-term energy trading & peer-to-peer contracts
  • Trading electricity at the right time
16:30

Closing Words

presentation

10 min.

Session Topics:
16:40

Networking Drinks

Session Topics:

Need any help?

We got you. Send out an email to our team and we are here to help.

Lorena Nieuwenhoven
Project Manager

For questions about the program and content of the event:

[email protected]
Mar Clemente Diego
Business Developer

For questions regarding partnership opportunities:

[email protected]
Jessica Medina
Project Coordinator

For practical questions regarding our activities:

[email protected]