Solarplaza Summit | Romania

Wednesday 2 April 2025

Program


08:30

Registration & welcome coffee

45 min.

Session Topics:

09:15

Opening words

presentation

15 min.

Radmyla Nikitchenko

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

Session 1

Market Projections: Securing Revenue Stability

09:30

Opening keynote: A market picture

presentation

20 min.

This keynote sets the stage for our conference. In 20 minutes, gain an overview of Romania’s renewable energy market, comparing recent developments with the previous year. Attendees will learn about current funding opportunities, Romania’s regional competitiveness, and expected growth in solar and storage installations through 2026.

Irene Mihai

Romanian Photovoltaic Industry Association (RPIA)

Session Topics:
  • Market overview
  • Open funding opportunities: Modernization Fund and EU-based initiatives like the National Recovery
  • and Resilience Plan (PNRR)
  • Regional competitiveness
  • Future projections
  • Strategic recommendations

09:50

A CfD update

presentation

20 min.

This session provides an in-depth analysis of Romania’s first CfD auction, detailing its design and implications for solar and storage projects. Attendees will gain insights into how CfDs function as revenue streams, with real-world insights from a successful applicant sharing their journey and outcomes from the initial auction.

Adina Andreescu

EBRD - European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Session Topics:
  • Breakdown of the auction design and application process.
  • Role of CfDs in stabilising revenues for solar and storage projects.
  • Results and implications of the first CfD auction.
  • Success story and lessons learned from a winning participant.

10:10

Unlocking revenue stability: PPAs, cross-border PPAs & other opportunities

panel

50 min.

This panel explores the evolving landscape of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in Romania, focusing on cross-border markets as a mechanism for revenue stability. Experts will discuss how new market designs and merchant models interact with existing regulations, and share insights from other markets on securing revenue through storage and PPAs.

moderator

Evangelos Gazis

Aurora Energy Research

Session Topics:
  • Overview of new PPA structures and their relevance for developers
  • The role of cross-border PPAs in stabilizing revenues for renewable projects
  • Experiences from other markets: revenue models for storage and their application in Romania
  • Strategies for mitigating cannibalization risks and managing negative prices

11:00

Morning networking break

On average, at Solarplaza Summit events an impressive 94% of attendees are able to make valuable business connections. Don’t miss out!

Session Topics:

Session 2

Certification, Prosumers, and Policy Alignment

11:45

Navigating policy changes for solar & storage projects

presentation

20 min.

This presentation will provide a detailed overview of upcoming policy changes in Romania and their impact on the solar and storage project approval process. Attendees will gain clarity on new legal requirements, available subsidies, and the legislation around hybridizing projects. The presentation will also address current bottlenecks in the approval and implementation processes, offering solutions to overcome regulatory challenges.

Session Topics:
  • Overview of upcoming policy changes and their implications for project approval processes
  • New requirements and available subsidies for solar and storage projects
  • Current bottlenecks in the regulatory process and strategies to overcome them
  • Guarantees of Origin (GOOs)
  • Role of prosumers and impact on legislation

12:05

Finance and Bankability: The Vision

panel

40 min.

Structured around how to achieve cash flow security, in this panel investors, banks and developers discuss the conditions and challenges it takes to secure a bank loan for future solar + B.E.S.S projects. Join financers and banks with different risk profiles to discuss their vision and strategy for financing solar + energy storage projects in Romania

Sebastian Mihai Staicu

Enery Energy

Session Topics:
  • Lenders perception of market risk
  • Lender readiness to provide debt to projects with different revenue streams
  • Expectations on future changes and market dynamics
  • Conditions and challenges to securing a bank loan for projects
  • Achieving cash flow security

13:00

Networking lunch break

Our new app makes it easy to send one-on-one messages, making it easy to meet with any of the 100+ attendees and 25+ speakers!

Session Topics:

Session 3

Solar Development, Energy Storage and Colocation

14:30

Solar development in Romania: Real-world insights and problems in the development processes

presentation

20 min.

This presentation will provide firsthand insights from a developer actively working on utility-scale solar projects in Romania.

Session Topics:
  • European aFRR Platform
  • Permitting challenges
  • Project Development Hurdles
  • Integrating Energy Storage

14:50

Monetizing energy storage: Applying leading models in Europe to Romania

presentation

20 min.

This presentation will delve into successful energy storage business models from leading European countries and their applicability to Romania's market. Attendees will explore how energy storage supports grid reliability, the long-term trends in integrating solar and storage, and how energy trading can enhance profitability. The session will provide concrete examples of markets that have rapidly expanded from MW to GW scales, offering practical insights for scaling up storage projects.

Session Topics:
  • European Business Models
  • Grid Support
  • Long-Term Integration Trends
  • Energy Trading
  • Scalable Examples

15:10

Top technologies for scaling solar + storage

panel

40 min.

This panel will bring together industry leaders to discuss the latest technologies that help solar and storage projects stay competitive.

Session Topics:
  • Technological advancements
  • SCADA Monitoring systems
  • O&M Optimisation
  • Cost-effective scaling

15:50

Afternoon networking break

Whether you're looking to connect with professionals from a specific sector or want to build relationships across the entire solar PV value chain, our event offers a unique chance to engage with experts from across the industry

Session Topics:

Session 4

Grid Infrastructure and Modernization, New Innovations

16:10

Transelectrica’s roadmap for grid expansion and modernization

presentation

20 min.

This presentation will provide a detailed update on the current timeframes and challenges for connecting large-scale solar projects to Romania’s grid. Attendees will gain insight into the expected delays, potential future developments, and solutions being considered to address grid bottlenecks and curtailment risks. Additionally, the session will offer updates on the grid upgrading process and how these improvements aim to facilitate the integration of more renewable energy capacity.

Session Topics:
  • Current connection timeframes
  • Best practices for securing grid connections
  • Addressing ATR (Technical Connection Approvals) and capacity limitations
  • Strategies for integrating large-scale storage into the grid
  • Key grid investment projects and timelines
  • Impact of grid modernization on new and existing projects
  • Opportunities for developers to align projects with grid upgrades

16:30

How to make the pie bigger: Expanding opportunities in Romania's solar + storage market

panel

45 min.

This panel will address the current market fragmentation and saturation challenges within Romania’s solar industry. Panelists will discuss strategies for expanding the market, attracting new investments, and future-proofing projects against evolving regulations and economic fluctuations. Attendees will gain insights into how collaboration and strategic planning can create more opportunities and ensure the long-term viability of their investments.

Session Topics:
  • Market fragmentation
  • Market saturation
  • Future-proofing investments
  • New opportunities: Agri-PV, Energy Trading, Prosumers
  • Collaborative opportunities

17:15

Closing remarks

presentation

15 min.

Radmyla Nikitchenko

Solarplaza

Session Topics:

17:30

Networking drinks

Session Topics:

Need any help?

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

Radmyla Nikitchenko
Project Manager

For practical questions regarding our activities:

[email protected]

Lon Stappers
Business Developer

For practical questions regarding our activities:

[email protected]

Audrey Wolff
Project Coordinator

For practical questions regarding our activities:

[email protected]