The smarter E Podcast

Perovskite solar cells have promised to push photovoltaic efficiency to new heights for years. Now, with major manufacturers achieving crucial reliability milestones and the first large-format modules entering large-scale production, the technology is moving beyond the laboratory. But as the race to bring perovskites to market accelerates, a fundamental question remains: will production processes deliver on cost, efficiency, and durability? This week, host Jonathan Gifford speaks with two leading manufacturers pursuing different approaches to perovskite-silicon tandem solar technology at the Perovskite Connect 2026 event in Berlin. First, Fabian Fertig, head of R&D PV technology at Qcells, discusses the company's breakthrough in achieving independent certification for its two-terminal tandem modules – a significant step towards commercial viability. Fertig explains why reliability, rather than record-breaking efficiency, has been the real challenge, and how Qcells is preparing to scale production to gigawatt scale. But the best route to commercialization is not yet locked in. Frank Mu, head of sales Europe at GCL Perovskite, makes the case for the four-terminal approach to tandem modules. With GCL already delivering its first large-scale orders in China, Mu explains why the company believes its architecture offers advantages in manufacturing scalability, material stability, and real-world performance. He also discusses the practical challenges of bringing these modules to market, from simplifying electrical connections to overcoming moisture-related failures and proving long-term durability. With two industry heavyweights backing competing technologies, the race is about both high conversion efficiency alongside reliability, and manufacturing an affordable product that can be supplied at scale. And if perovskites can meet those demands, the next major transformation of the solar industry may happen faster than many expect. ✉️ Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach us at [email protected]

Germany helped pioneer the political frameworks that made solar a global success. But with daytime electricity prices falling, solar companies under pressure, and significant policy reforms taking shape, could the impressive solar and battery installation rates of recent years slow dramatically? This week, host Jonathan Gifford speaks with David Wortmann, founder and CEO of Berlin-based consultancy DWR eco, about the proposed overhaul of Germany’s Renewable Energy Act (EEG). The reforms could fundamentally change the financial returns that solar projects can deliver, with support for residential and commercial rooftops set to shrink. But it’s not all one way; utility-scale tender volumes under the same reforms are likely to increase. Wortmann argues that the main concern may be the speed of the reforms. As solar businesses are pushed towards self-consumption and market-based revenues, it appears that some are struggling to adapt. He discusses whether Germany can strike the right balance between rooftop and utility-scale solar without jeopardizing the country’s stated renewable-energy ambitions. But as growing solar generation causes intraday power price spreads to grow, there are attractive opportunities for another technology: battery energy storage. Recorded at the unveiling of a new battery manufacturing facility near Izmir, Turkey, Jonathan speaks with Salomé Perperot, senior consultant at Clean Horizon, about Europe's evolving battery storage economics. As lucrative ancillary service revenues give way to merchant trading opportunities, Perperot explains which markets look most attractive, and why securing even a small share of guaranteed revenue can be crucial to getting battery projects financed. As both of these conversations demonstrate, generating more renewable electricity is only part of the challenge – the next test is finding the market structures, contracts, and policy settings that make it work. ✉️ Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach us at [email protected]

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. ✉️ Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach us at [email protected]

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. ✉️ Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach us at [email protected]

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. ✉️ Questions, comments or suggestions? Reach us at [email protected]

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

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 Sitaram Chodimella, SIEMENS Stefan Feilmeier, FENECON Sören Vahland, GE Vernova ✉️ Questions or feedback? Write us at [email protected]