Utilities ‘changing the appearance’ of European solar

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Utilities are becoming prolific investors in European solar with the likes of Eon, RWE and Enel all either establishing or acquiring solar development arms. Credit: RWE

Big energy utilities such as Eon and innogy are “changing the appearance” of the European solar market as they wade into the sector, a panel of industry leaders has concluded.

Speaking at SolarPower Europe’s ongoing Solar Power Summit in Brussels yesterday, First Solar senior director for Europe sales Stefan Degener said that European utilities were waking up to the potential for solar to make a meaningful contribution to their energy mix.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

This, Degener said, had resulted in them “changing the appearance” of the European solar market and ultimately contributing to the market becoming “more professional”.

Utilities are becoming prolific investors in European solar with the likes of Eon, RWE and Enel all either establishing or acquiring solar development arms.

Earlier this year RWE’s clean energy unit innogy splashed the cash on developer Belectric in a bid to bolt on solar expertise.

Markus Hoehner, chief executive officer at EuPD Research, said that the more widespread adoption of solar by utilities was a result of them “running out of business” and that while it might have taken a few years, they were now “beginning to understand and review strategies”.

Hoehner added that this would result in significant upside for solar manufacturers by creating a “strong sales channel” for them to tap into.

Read Next

September 8, 2025
Georgia Power has certified five new solar power purchase agreements (PPAs) within its borders, for a combined capacity of just over 1GW.
August 11, 2025
German renewables engineering firm Belectric has begun operations at a 96MW solar PV project near its headquarters in the Kolitzheim area of Germany.
August 6, 2025
The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has published the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM) for solar cells, which contains 13GW of annual nameplate capacity across six manufacturers.
August 1, 2025
US solar module manufacturer First Solar saw sales and net profits increase in Q2 2025, as it forecasts a strong performance under the Trump administration’s industrial and trade policy changes.
July 31, 2025
First Solar has completed a deal to sell US$391 million in tax credits, bringing its total tax credit sales this year to over US$1.5 billion.
July 28, 2025
In a webinar hosted by Informa Markets, industry experts gathered to dissect the implications of the 45V clean hydrogen tax credit extension.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines