Welcome and Introduction

premium account

Recording of Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | The smarter E Europe | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 4:46 .

Industry Experts Discuss Strategies to Improve Quality and Efficiency in EPC Projects Amid Rising Costs and Delays

The speaker begins by acknowledging the presence of both men and women, stressing a desire for greater diversity within the branch. The main topic discussed is improving quality in EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) projects across all phases. Reflecting on his early career at BayWa r.e. about ten years ago, he recalls ambitious goals like achieving LCOE (Levelized Cost of Electricity) grid parity which seemed far-fetched but were achieved with their first large power plant project in Spain in 2018. Despite this progress, similar challenges persist today such as optimizing CapEx and OPEX costs over long-term operations while ensuring efficiency amid rising interest rates and squeezed profit margins. Many projects have faced delays or cancellations due to these economic pressures. To address these ongoing issues, the speaker introduces several colleagues who will share their insights: Martin Dennenmoser from BayWa r.e. Solar Projects; Aquin Magnus a Project Engineer from ENGIE Laborelec; Dan Garlin CCO Renewables of Uniper; and Dr. Carlos Javier Sarasa from ELGIN ENERGY. He expresses enthusiasm for their upcoming contributions to the discussion aimed at enhancing operational efficiencies in current energy projects.

Automated summarization by AI Conver

Dr. Benedikt Ortmann
Global Director Origination & Business Development Projects
BayWa r.e. AG
Germany

As regulatory requirements and margin pressure make project development increasingly challenging, EPCs are confronted with new system designs and high volatility in product supply and cost. Once a PV power plant has been built, the O&M needs to ensure a high output. This requires more and more digital analytics, while asset managers must deal with increasing reporting services. The session will cover:

  • Status of utility-scale solar power project development needs
  • How EPCs deal with rising costs and supply volatility pressure
  • Advanced analytics for effective O&M
  • Asset management throughout the entire project lifecycle
  • Q&A

Speaker

Martin Dennenmoser
Head of R&D
BayWa r.e. Solar Projects GmbH
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Aquin Magnus
Project Engineer
ENGIE Laborelec
France

To Talk

Speaker

Dan Garlin
COO Renewables
Uniper
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Carlos Javier Sarasa
Managing Director
ELGIN ENERGY
United Kingdom

To Talk

To Talk

Further Content
Webinar Collection
Growth of the European Solar Market, Specifically, Romania

February 24, 2026

free account

Webinar: EU Solar Market Overview with Focus on Romania

Webinar
Green Hydrogen & PV in Brazil: 24/7 Renewable Energy Opportunities in the Northeast

March 26, 2026

Explore how Brazil advances toward 24/7 clean energy by combining solar power and green hydrogen.

Webinar Collection
Mexico’s commercial and industrial solar thermal: from potential to projects

February 19, 2026

free account

Discover Mexico’s C&I solar thermal market, opportunities, trends and successful projects

Webinar
5 Challenges in the Electrification of Commercial Vehicle Fleets

April 29, 2026

Save on fleet costs by asking the right questions

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025
Q&A Session of of the Session Off-Grid: Rural Electrification Based on Solar Systems - Lessons Learned

Wednesday, May 07, 2025, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm

The smarter E Europe Conferences 2025 | Conference Program

premium account

Off-grid solar systems are often the least expensive option for rural electrification. Solar home systems can power individual households, while mini-grids can supply entire villages. Each comes with its own advantages, disadvantages, and challenges. The aim of this session is to explore challenges as well as success stories. It takes well-functioning components such as battery systems, charge management and inverters to make projects successful. Proper system sizing, maintenance and repair management, as well as a robust financial concept are also necessary. If one of these elements is missing, the electrification will not be sustainable. This session will focus on the aspects mentioned above. The speakers will present successful and unsuccessful approaches and discuss what can be learned from them.

You are using an outdated browser

The website cannot be viewed in this browser. Please open the website in an up-to-date browser such as Edge, Chrome, Firefox, or Safari.