Shine On Policycast

Welcome to ShineOn Policycast, SolarPower Europe's new podcast segment that gives you the run down on EU policy relevant to solar and the energy transition in 10 minutes or less!
 
 In this episode, our Head of Press and Policy Communications, Bethany Meban, talks with Jan Osenberg, Policy Advisor for solar on buildings, about European Parliament Committee for Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE)'s recent vote on the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), and how this will revolutionise the European solar sector.
 
 Listen now to find out the positions of the different European Union institutions when it comes to solar on buildings, what the next legislative steps are, and what challenges still need to be overcome to ensure Europe becomes a solar powerhouse, creating millions of solar citizens.
 
 Thanks for listening!

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Everybody wants solar – but what happens if you don’t own your own home, or you don’t have your own roof because you live in an apartment building? In a city?

In this episode, we chat with co-founder of German start up We Do Solar, Karolina Attspodina, about their vertical solar solutions or ‘balcony solar’. This innovative concept allows more and more people living in apartments to benefit from their own home-grown solar energy.

As we continue through times of energy and climate crises, the versatility of solar will continue to help us on all fronts. But what hurdles must be overcome?

Climate journalist, Anna Gumbau, and SolarPower Europe Policy Director, Dries Acke, are your hosts for this episode, where we explore the story of a Ukrainian solarpreneur and uncover what balcony solar really is, how it works, and what is in store for the future!

About our guest:

Karolina Attspodina is a serial entrepreneur with over 12 years of experience in the Tech industry. 

She has 10 years of experience in business management and technology sales for SaaS companies. She co-founded the TargetSummit conference, which focuses on mobile app technology. Karolina has worked for a number of global SaaS companies that lead the way in innovation technologies and has been mentoring a number of startups around the globe.

Karolina is helping to build the local tech ecosystem in Germany via her extensive network by enabling corporates and startups to collaborate. She is an active speaker and sales coach, helping founders to set up processes for analytics and sales. 

She is passionate about technology and innovation, and mentors local & international startups on digital growth strategies and new market entries. 

In September 2021, together with Qian Qin, a serial entrepreneur and ex-Managing Director of BSH Digital Ventures GmbH, she founded a solar tech startup WeDoSolar. Its balcony solar solution enables the users to lower their dependence on grid energy while also reducing CO2 footprint by up to 600kg and saving up to 25% of annual electricity costs.

Karolina is a passionate supporter of sustainable green innovations that help fight climate change and pollution. 

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Welcome to ShineOn Policycast, SolarPower Europe's new podcast segment that gives you the run down on EU policy relevant to solar and the energy transition in 10 minutes or less!

In this episode, our Press and Communications Advisor, Bethany Meban, talks with Dries Acke, Policy Director, about the European Commission's recent Communication on the Green Deal Industrial Plan.

Listen now to find out more about what the Green Deal Industrial Plan is, and what it means for solar in Europe; what does the plan still lack and what are the next key dates for your diary?

Thanks for listening!

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SolarPower Europe CEO, Walburga Hemetsberger, sat down with EU Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson to talk about a year that has changed everything for solar in the EU and how we can go even further, faster.

In a seismic shift for the energy landscape, the European Union added a record-breaking 41.4 GW of solar power in 2022. The new capacity is equivalent to the power needs of 12.4 million European homes, and replaces 102 LNG tankers. Annual EU solar power growth has increased by 47% from 28.1 GW in 2021.  

In the face of an unprecedented energy crisis and heightened energy security concerns, EU total solar power capacity grew by a mammoth 25% in just one year – from 167.5 GW to 208.9 GW in 2022.  

In the European Commission's EU Solar Strategy published earlier this year saw Europe's solar ambitions raised to a target of 750 GWdc by 2030. What needs to happen next to get ready for this unprecedented solar expansion?

Download the report here.

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Just a few weeks ago, COP27 took place in Sharm El Sheikh. Two weeks of negotiations, exhibitions and demonstrations focused on how to address the looming threat of climate change. But the one question everyone wants the answer to: was it a good COP, or a bad COP?

In this episode, Brussels-based climate journalist Anna Gumbau is joined by our Director of Global Affairs, Máté Heisz, and guest speaker Olasimbo Sojinrin, COO of Solar Sister, to reflect on the most recent UN Climate Change Conferences.

This years COP was labelled 'Africa's COP' and throughout our conversation we will explore: what does that mean for Africa? How is climate change affecting countries across Africa and how can solar energy offer a lifeline to the most vulnerable communities?

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In the current times of energy and climate crises, one question on the minds of many is that of jobs. There is a real skills gap in the clean energy sector that must be addressed if we are to achieve our goals of accelerating renewables for energy security and tackling climate change.

In this conversation during our #SolarJobsWeek, we dive into challenges and opportunities for solar jobs in Europe, answering key questions about how we can address the skills gap. 

Our hosts Anna Gumbau and Dries Acke talk with young entrepreneur Filip Koprčina, founder of Energy Shift, a blockchain powered platform that enables citizens to jointly invest in and co-own solar farms. Filip has previous work experience from a solar installation company and was a Technical Working Group member in the United Nations’ High Level Dialogue on Energy. He won the EU Sustainable Energy Award in the Young Trailblazer category, awarded by the European Commission, and is a laureate of the Forbes 30 under 30 Europe 2022. 

At the end of the episode we also hear from SolarPower Europe's Project and Communications Officer, Sien Van de Wiele, about the #SolarWorks campaign and the new SolarWorks Job Platform and online #SolarWorksFair on 1 December.

About ShineOn's hosts:
Anna Gumbau, freelance energy and climate journalist based in Brussels
Dries Acke, Policy Director at SolarPower Europe

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Follow us for more:

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Welcome to Shine On, a podcast presented by SolarPower Europe. In the second season of our Solar Success in Africa series we'll hear more about innovative solar projects bringing clean and reliable energy to communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

This podcast series is supported by GET.invest, a European programme that mobilises investment in decentralised renewable energy projects, supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria.

In the final episode in this series, I have the pleasure of chatting with Oluwaseun Abraham, Head of Project at Havenhill Synergy. We discuss the state of solar in Nigeria, different strategies to service urban areas and rural communities, and how COVID-19 highlighted the potential of solar to deliver last-mile electricity connections.

• For more information about SolarPower Europe visit: www.solarpowereurope.org
• Join the conversation on social media using #ShineOnSolar
• For any questions or comments, contact host Lukas Clark-Memler: [email protected]

Thanks for listening and until next time: Shine On!

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Welcome to Shine On, a podcast presented by SolarPower Europe. In the second season of our Solar Success in Africa series we'll hear more about innovative solar projects bringing clean and reliable energy to communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

This podcast series is supported by GET.invest, a European programme that mobilises investment in decentralised renewable energy projects, supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria.

In the third episode in this series, I talk with Servaas Van Den Noortgate, Co-Founder of FlexGrid. We discuss the role of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in solar, Pay-As-You-Go financial models, and facilitating rural electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa.

• For more information about SolarPower Europe visit: www.solarpowereurope.org
• Join the conversation on social media using #ShineOnSolar
• For any questions or comments, contact host Lukas Clark-Memler: [email protected]

Thanks for listening and until next time: Shine On!

Follow us for more:

LinkedIn
Bluesky
Instagram
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Welcome to Shine On, a podcast presented by SolarPower Europe. In the second season of our Solar Success in Africa series we'll hear more about innovative solar projects bringing clean and reliable energy to communities across Sub-Saharan Africa.

This podcast series is supported by GET.invest, a European programme that mobilises investment in decentralised renewable energy projects, supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria.

In the second episode in this series, we hear from Francine Munyaneza, Founder and CEO of Munyax Eco, a Rwandan solar company. We discuss the challenges and opportunities of founding a renewable energy company in Africa, access to financing, and the future of solar in the region.

• For more information about SolarPower Europe visit: www.solarpowereurope.org
• Join the conversation on social media using #ShineOnSolar
• For any questions or comments, contact host Lukas Clark-Memler: [email protected]

Thanks for listening and until next time: Shine On!

Follow us for more:

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Bluesky
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Website