The smarter E Podcast

Europe has some of the world’s best solar researchers and strongest local markets. So why is so much of the PV manufacturing happening somewhere else?

Recorded at the recent EU PVSEC scientific conference and exhibition in Rotterdam, host Jonathan Gifford explores this question with Gaëtan Masson, CEO of the Becquerel Institute and co-chair of the European Solar Manufacturing Council. They examine Europe’s increasingly unusual position within the energy transition: a major solar market with very little manufacturing of its own. Meanwhile, India, the U.S. and China are building enormous production capacity – often drawing on European research outcomes.

So, can Europe leverage its solar knowhow to rebuild its industry? Masson argues that European-level industrial policy is required – particularly if manufacturers are going to attract the investment needed to scale.

Jonathan also speaks with 2026 Becquerel Prize winner Delfina Muñoz, Research Director of the Solar Energy Department at CEA at INES. Much of Muñoz’s research has focused on the interfaces between the different layers of a solar cell – because even well-designed solar products can generate weak results if the layers within the PV cell don’t function efficiently together. It’s an idea that is becoming even more important with technologies such as perovskite-silicon tandems, where efficiency, degradation, and stability factors can all hinge on what happens at those interfaces.

As a board member of the European Solar Manufacturing Council, Muñoz is also working at another kind of interface: between academia, industry, and policymakers. Closing the gaps between these groups could assist Europe in contributing to the development of the next generation of PV technology – and manufacturing it.

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Germany’s utility-scale battery deployment is hitting an inflection point.

After years of projects piling up in development pipelines, utility-scale storage is arriving at gigawatt scale – just as Germany’s huge solar fleet drives electricity prices towards zero, or below, during sunny hours.

For batteries that can shift that power into higher-priced periods, the opportunity is enormous.

Host Jonathan Gifford speaks with Thaddäus Kreisig, Principal at Aurora Energy Research, about Germany’s forming battery boom – and how developers are building revenue stacks to make projects viable.

The shift is striking: more than two-thirds of solar developers recently surveyed by Aurora said every project they plan to deploy will be co-located with a battery system. Falling battery-system equipment costs are strengthening the business case, while arbitrage, ancillary services, EEG revenues, and new financing models are opening up ways in which battery energy storage systems can pay off.

But grid constraints remain a major hurdle. Flexible connection agreements can restrict when batteries charge and discharge – limiting revenues, even as energy storage could help resolve the German energy market’s pricing peaks and troughs.

In short, Germany’s massive solar fleet has created both the need and the opportunity for batteries. And energy storage is rapidly shifting from optional extra to essential infrastructure – but the route-to-market for projects certainly promises to be an interesting ride.

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The Dunkelflaute has become one of the most persistent arguments against a fully renewable energy system. When the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, where is our energy supposed to come from?

Detailed new modeling from Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE suggests these “dark doldrums” are a challenge – but should not be enough to halt the energy transition. The bigger challenge to be overcome is how the flexibility needed to manage low-renewable energy periods can be embedded into the country’s energy system.

Recorded at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, host Jonathan Gifford speaks with Fraunhofer ISE senior scientist Charlotte Senkpiel about what it would take for Germany to reach climate neutrality with wind and solar at the heart of its energy system. And the result is not only good for the climate, it’s economically viable.

The outcome of the Fraunhofer ISE study goes well beyond simply building more renewables. Batteries, electric vehicles, flexible demand, strengthened and smarter grids, international interconnectors, and dispatchable backup all have roles to play – while electrification dramatically reduces Germany’s dependence on fossil-fuel imports.

And when prolonged periods of low wind and solar do arrive? The modeling shows how batteries, demand flexibility, electricity imports, and a limited use of hydrogen or synthetic-fuelled generation can work together to keep the system running.

In the second part of the podcast, Global Solar Council CEO Sonia Dunlop joins the episode to discuss the push to unlock agrivoltaics and rooftop solar worldwide – and why she believes a near-term slowdown in global PV deployment doesn’t change solar’s mid-term trajectory.

What the episode crystallizes: a 24/7 renewable energy system is about building an energy system flexible enough to handle the variability of wind and solar, and how it’s cheaper to do so.

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Despite claims that the energy transition is losing momentum, solar and battery deployment continues to run ahead of forecasts – profoundly impacting electricity markets and the wider global energy system.

Recorded at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, host Jonathan Gifford is joined by Jarand Rystad, founder and CEO of energy analysts Rystad Energy, to examine where the transition stands today. Rystad explains why solar has consistently outpaced forecasts and how mass production, aggressive cost reduction, and rapid battery-technology deployment are driving continued expansion.

But alongside the upside, the conversation turns to one of solar's biggest challenges: falling capture prices as abundant midday PV generation pushes down the value of electricity during daylight hours. Rystad argues that accelerating battery deployment is helping to address this imbalance, shifting excess generation, and ultimately making space for even more renewables.

The conversation also explores how storage business models are evolving, the prospects for European solar manufacturing and next-generation perovskite technologies, and whether energy-security concerns could further accelerate the electrification of transportation.

Together, these trends point to solar and batteries increasingly working in tandem to create a cheaper, flexible, and electrified energy system.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write to us at [email protected]

An increasing number of solar marketplaces have entered a new phase – one where achieving strong, ongoing installation rates depends heavily on system flexibility. Recorded live at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, this episode of pod brings together two conversations that examine how solar marketplaces are changing in the face of this new reality, which includes falling capture prices and the rapid rise of battery energy storage.

Host Jonathan Gifford is first joined by Edurne Zoco, Executive Director of Clean Technologies and Supply Chain at S&P Global, for a wide-ranging look at the major trends in global solar in 2026. Zoco explains why a temporary slowdown in installations masks a future continued growth trajectory, how batteries are becoming indispensable as solar penetration increases, and why the distributed market segment is gaining momentum across Europe.

The episode then shifts to Brazil with Barbara Rubim, recently elected President of AB Solar, who outlines the obstacles facing what was one of the world's fastest-growing solar markets. Rubin reflects on Brazil's rapid expansion to nearly 70 GW of installed capacity, the growing impact of renewable-energy curtailment, and the pivotal role that the country's first large-scale storage auctions could play in unlocking the next wave of development.

Taken together, these conversations reveal the urgency of a shift towards energy storage, and how smarter market design and technologies will allow that storage to deliver greater value and flexibility across electricity networks.

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Innovation in solar business models and technology is front-and-center on this episode of The smarter E Podcast. Featuring two leaders from the U.S. solar industry, it explores how innovation across the solar value chain is taking the global energy transition in new directions. Recorded live at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, host Jonathan Gifford speaks with two executives from companies that represent very different stages of the industry's evolution: one scaling and redefining an established global business, the other pushing a new generation of solar technology toward commercial reality.

First, Howard Wenger, President of Nextpower, discusses the company's rapid transformation from a solar tracker specialist into a provider of integrated utility-scale solar and energy storage platforms. Following a series of strategic acquisitions – most recently the German mounting system manufacturer Zimmermann and battery storage integrator Prevalon – Wenger explains why combining hardware, software, and storage is becoming essential for utility-scale renewable energy. He also shares insights into Europe's growing importance for the company, the role of battery storage in addressing negative electricity prices and data centre demand, and why customer-focused innovation remains central to Nextpower's expansion strategy.

The conversation then turns to the future of photovoltaic cell-and-module technology with Aaron Thurlow, Chief Commercial Officer at Caelux. Thurlow explains how the company's perovskite-on-glass approach could accelerate commercial adoption by augmenting existing silicon module production lines rather than replacing them. He discusses the pathway from pilot production to scale manufacturing, the potential for significant efficiency gains, and why perovskites could unlock new opportunities not only for terrestrial solar but also for space applications. The discussion also tackles one of PV-perovskite technology’s biggest questions: long-term durability and why confidence is growing and commercial-scale deployment drawing closer.

Together, these conversations highlight an industry advancing on multiple fronts and developing the technologies that could define the next generation of highly-productive photovoltaics.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at [email protected]

As Europe faces rising energy-security concerns, volatile electricity markets and growing grid congestion, a new generation of energy solutions is emerging that could turn these challenges into opportunities. Recorded live at The smarter E Europe 2026 in Munich, this episode explores how EVs, smart charging, and vehicle-to-grid technology are transforming cars into active participants in the electricity system. These “batteries on wheels” have the potential to be friends rather than foes when it comes to electricity network functionality.

The Mobility House founder and CEO Thomas Raffeiner joins the pod to discuss the next phase of electrification and the company's renewed focus on energy services, following the sale of its fleet charging business. Raffeiner explains why fleet electrification is accelerating worldwide, how falling charging costs are bringing businesses closer to zero-cost and zero-emissions mobility – and why electric vehicles should be viewed as energy assets rather than as additional demand on the grid.

Also joining the podcast is Petrouschka Werther, Director of Sustainable Mobility at the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, who shares how the Netherlands became a European EV-integration pioneer, with a fleet undergoing rapid transformation.

Werther explains how the country's speedy adoption of solar energy, heat pumps, and electric vehicles has created significant pressure on the electricity grid — and how smart charging and vehicle-to-grid solutions are now helping to relieve that congestion. She discusses innovative projects in cities such as Utrecht, where electric vehicles are already supporting local electricity networks, and outlines the European collaboration now underway to establish the technical standards and regulatory framework needed to scale V2G across the continent.

Together, these conversations paint a picture of an energy system where electric vehicles are able to become mobile batteries, flexible grid assets, and a critical component of a secure, affordable and renewable energy future.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at [email protected]

The future of energy was on display in Munich last week — and this isn’t hyperbole! While some still question how an industrialised nation like Germany can be powered by renewable energy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, The smarter E Europe 2026 offered some compelling insights. Through a major new study, an interactive exhibition, and the countless innovations showcased across the event, a pathway to a fully renewable energy system was laid out in remarkable detail.

In this special on-site edition of the podcast, we capture the energy of the event itself, explore the technologies on display, and discuss some of the industry's most important developments. One theme stood out was the emergence of truly 24/7 renewable energy systems.

Author, engineer, and consultant Tim Meyer joins the podcast to guide us through the special 24/7 Renewables exhibition at this year's event. He explains why electric mobility and vehicle-to-grid technology is a game changer for a solar-and-wind lead energy system. Meyer also argues that the transition to clean energy presents major opportunities for industry, particularly through access to low-cost electricity during periods of abundant wind and solar generation.

The smarter E founder and CEO Markus Elsässer also joins the podcast at both the opening and closing of this year's event. He reflects on the number of visitors this year, the key conversations taking place across the show floor, and the challenges currently facing the renewable energy sector.

Other guests in this special edition of the podcast include:

• Charlotte Senkpiel, Fraunhofer ISE

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at [email protected]

Recorded at the Tandem PV Workshop in Berlin, this week’s episode explores one of the most exciting frontiers in solar technology: perovskite-based tandem photovoltaics. Featuring two leading researchers from Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the conversations dive into why perovskites could unlock the next major step forward in solar efficiency – and what still needs to happen before the technology reaches mass commercialization.

In the first interview, we’re joined by Professor Rutger Schlatmann, Head of the Solar Energy Division at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin, to unpack why silicon-perovskite tandem solar cells are attracting so much attention from researchers and industry. Rutger explains how conventional silicon technology is approaching its physical efficiency limits, and why adding a perovskite layer on top of silicon offers a pathway to significantly higher performance.

In the second half of the episode, we speak with Angelika Harter, Group Lead Industrial-like Silicon Perovskite Tandem Baseline at HZB, about the transition from record-breaking laboratory results toward commercially viable solar products. Angelika shares insights from the Tandem PV Workshop, where the industry’s focus is shifting from simply achieving higher efficiencies toward improving stability, scalability, and reproducibility.

We also explore new opportunities for perovskite technologies beyond conventional solar modules – including flexible PV, indoor applications, and space technologies – and why the next five years could prove critical for bringing the first generation of commercial perovskite products to market.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at [email protected]

Recorded at two recent industry events – the SolarPower Summit in Brussels and the Battery Business & Development Forum in Frankfurt – this week’s episode explores why batteries have become one of the most dynamic areas of the global energy transition. Featuring two industry heavy hitters, the conversations cover how BESS is transforming everything from electric mobility and charging infrastructure to renewable energy markets and grid management.

In the first interview, we’re joined by Laurent Segalen, clean energy investor and host of the Redefining Energy podcast, to unpack why electrification is entering a new phase of growth. Laurent explains how falling battery costs, improving EV technology, and changing energy economics are accelerating the shift from fossil fuels to electricity – particularly across transport sectors such as cars, vans, and heavy-duty trucks.

The discussion explores why electric trucks are becoming increasingly compelling from a business perspective, with lower operating and maintenance costs driving adoption. Laurent also explains why stationary batteries will play a critical role in supporting high-power charging infrastructure, creating buffers across the electricity system, and enabling the continued expansion of renewable energy.

In the second half of the episode, we speak with Stefan Mueller, COO and co-founder of ENERPARC, about the booming utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) market in Germany and Europe. Stefan shares insights into the wide range of emerging opportunities – from grid-scale batteries and solar-plus-storage projects to behind-the-meter applications supporting industry, EV charging, and energy-cost optimization.

The conversation covers the changing economics of battery projects, including merchant trading, peak shaving, balancing markets, and how energy storage can help companies access more reliable renewable power. Stefan also explains what investors and banks need to see for BESS projects to become financeable, and why predictable regulation and grid connection frameworks remain essential.

We also discuss the role of AI and digital platforms in managing increasingly complex energy assets, the future of hydrogen versus electrification in transport, and why batteries may ultimately help us use existing electricity infrastructure far more efficiently.

✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at [email protected]