Watt Matters by PVcase

Afleveringen

1. AI, technology and the next productivity leap

   12 oktober 2026 · 40 min

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   AI is everywhere in solar, but the real question is whether the industry can turn the hype into measurable productivity gains. Recorded live at Intersolar Europe 2026, this episode of Watt Matters explores how AI, automation, robotics, and connected software are changing the way utility-scale solar projects are designed, engineered, built, and operated. As projects become more complex, grids more constrained, and margins tighter, the ability to make better decisions earlier in the project lifecycle is becoming a competitive advantage. Lees meer

   Host Conrado speaks with Joachim Rupp, a renewable energy and cleantech advisor and independent board member; David Trainavicius, CEO of PVcase; and Ángel Galván of Nextpower. Together, they examine the practical realities of AI adoption, the importance of data quality and security, the economics of automation, and the evolution of solar technology beyond individual components. From AI-enabled workflows to robotic inspection and terrain-following tracker systems, the conversation explores how technology can help the industry scale without compromising project quality, reliability, or financial performance.

   Takeaways

   AI delivers the most value when it improves real business processes rather than being adopted for its own sake.

   Disconnected tools and fragmented data can limit optimization across the solar project lifecycle.

   Data quality is foundational to useful AI models and better project decisions.

   Trust, cybersecurity, confidentiality, and intellectual property must shape AI adoption.

   The growing complexity of solar, storage, and hybrid projects is increasing the need for smarter workflows.

   Tighter margins are pushing developers to focus more on project optimization, analytics, and return on investment.

   AI can help software teams experiment, develop products, and deliver improvements faster.

   Robotics can support solar plant monitoring, fault detection, and maintenance.

   Terrain-following trackers and more integrated techno…

2. Policy, systems and the infrastructure around solar

   21 september 2026 · 42 min

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   Solar is already one of the fastest and most affordable ways to add new generation in many markets. But economics alone will not determine what gets deployed. Lees meer

   As solar becomes a larger part of the global energy system, the constraints around it become more important. Grids need flexibility. Storage needs viable markets. Workers need consistent training. Supply chains need resilience. And an industry built around sustainable energy also has to demonstrate sustainability across the full lifecycle of its products.

   Sonia Dunlop looks at this transition globally, from Agri-PV and rooftop deployment to skills, standards, and supply-chain resilience. Antonio Arruebo Lacleta explores why battery storage is becoming inseparable from solar growth — and why permitting, grid access, market design, and policy still determine how quickly it can scale. Christina Maria Huber brings the lifecycle perspective, explaining how Europe is approaching PV recycling, critical raw materials, and circularity as the first generations of large-scale solar assets eventually reach end of life.

   The common thread: solar’s next chapter depends not only on deploying more capacity, but on building the systems that allow that capacity to work at scale.

   What you’ll learn in this episode

   ● Why solar’s next phase depends increasingly on infrastructure, standards, and policy

   ● How battery storage addresses curtailment, flexibility, and the changing value of solar power

   ● Why grid access, permitting, and market design remain major barriers to storage deployment

   ● How global standards and workforce training support a maturing solar industry

   ● Why PV recycling and circularity are becoming industrial and strategic opportunities for Europe

   Chapters

   00:00 — Policy, systems, and the infrastructure around solar

   01:20 — Sonia Dunlop: What solar needs to scale globally

   03:00 — Electrification, Agri-PV, and new models for deployment

   03:55 — Why a mature solar industry needs global standards

   05:20 — Bu…

3. Building bankable, build-ready solar

   7 september 2026 · 1 uur 9 min

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   Recorded live from Intersolar Europe 2026 in Munich, this episode of What Matters brings together four voices shaping the next phase of solar development: David Trainavicius, CEO and founder of PVcase; Miguel Herrero, Senior Market Advisor at PVcase; Stephan Schindele, one of Europe's leading Agri-PV experts; and Madeleine Hill, a solar consultant and partner at Everoze. Across the conversations, one theme kept surfacing: solar demand is still strong, but the projects themselves are getting harder to build, finance, and defend. That means better decisions have to happen earlier, not after the fact. Lees meer

   David opens the episode with the founder's view of an industry outgrowing its subsidy-driven roots and leaning harder on data and AI to move faster without losing control. Miguel follows with an on-the-ground read of Intersolar's mood, the explosive rise of battery storage, and why an industry that looks like it is slowing down is, in reality, just getting more serious. Stephan then breaks down why Agri-PV is growing three times faster than solar overall, and why farmland, not desert, may be where most of Europe's next gigawatts get built. Finally, Madeleine brings the conversation to the ground truth of financing: what due diligence actually catches, why grid risk and module quality never stop being issues, and how Everoze's employee-owned, flat-hierarchy model shapes the way problems get solved.

   Together, these conversations sketch a solar industry moving from ambition to execution. It is an industry trading hype for margin discipline, improvisation for standards, and guesswork for data, while still holding on to the optimism that got it here. PVcase helps developers, engineers, and consultants make these harder projects bankable from day one. Learn more at www.pvcase.com.

   TAKEAWAYS

   Solar demand remains strong, but projects now face tighter margins, more scrutiny, and higher expectations from financiers

   AI is accelerating product development at PVcase, but data go…

4. What happens after solar wins?

   19 augustus 2026 · 45 min

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   Solar has won the cost battle. But as deployment accelerates, the industry faces a new challenge: making solar work as a core part of the global electricity system. Lees meer

   Recorded live from InterSolar Europe 2026, this special episode of Watt Matters brings together three leading voices from across the solar ecosystem: Jenny Chase from BloombergNEF, Josephine Berg from S&P Global, and Stefan Müller from Enerparc. Together, they explore how the industry is moving beyond cheap panels and rapid growth toward a more complex era defined by grids, storage, market design, flexibility, and long-term project economics.

   From negative electricity prices and solar cannibalization to AI-driven efficiency and the rise of storage, the conversation examines what it takes for solar to succeed at scale.

   Takeaways:

   Solar’s biggest challenge is no longer cost reduction, but system integration.

   Cheap solar power is reshaping electricity markets around the world.

   Storage and flexible demand are becoming essential for future solar growth.

   Solar developers must adapt to new market realities and revenue models.

   Manufacturing overcapacity remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges.

   Electricity demand growth from AI, data centers, and electrification creates new opportunities.

   Grid constraints and regulation are now central challenges for solar projects.

   Software, automation, and AI will improve project efficiency and economics.

   The solar industry is entering a more mature business phase.

   Collaboration across energy sectors will define the next decade of growth.

   Chapters:

   00:00 – Solar’s next challenge after winning the cost battle

   03:10 – Jenny Chase: Solar’s success and the clean power transition

   11:45 – Storage, flexibility, and solving solar cannibalization

   17:30 – Why solar manufacturing remains a difficult business

   22:40 – Josephine Berg: Solar’s transition into a mature industry

   30:15 – New markets, new business models, and the complexity of growth

   37:20 – Policy,…

5. Power, Planning and the Future of Digital Infrastructure, with Amy Polvado

   6 juli 2026 · 28 min

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   In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana sits down with Amy Polvado, a seasoned real estate developer turned tech founder and data center strategist, to explore the intricate world of data center development and what it means for energy infrastructure and the broader energy transition. Amy shares how her journey from commercial real estate to launching Facilimax, a digital twin platform for complex built environments, informed her unique perspective on site selection, power challenges, and the pressing need for accurate infrastructure data. Lees meer

   The conversation dives into the multifaceted challenges data center developers face today — from navigating power grid constraints and understanding on‑site generation requirements to deciphering regulatory efforts and sustainability considerations in a rapidly evolving market. Amy also discusses future trends, including AI workloads, retrofitting smaller sites for edge computing, and the evolving role of digital tools in shaping the next generation of digital infrastructure. PVcase is proud to bring you insights that bridge energy, infrastructure, and digital growth. Visit pvcase.com to learn more.

   Takeaways

   Data center site selection requires deep understanding of power access, grid headroom, floodplain, fiber, and mineral rights.

   Just having utility infrastructure nearby (e.g., gas pipelines) does not guarantee usable capacity.

   On‑site power generation and interconnection complexities are central to speed to delivery for data centers.

   Vacancy rates in data centers are extremely low, and new capacity is often pre‑leased before construction begins.

   AI demand is driving seismic shifts in compute needs, grid interactions, and site planning.

   Sustainability goals and resource usage must be balanced with reliability and uptime requirements.

   Smaller, edge, and repurposed sites are likely to grow in importance alongside mega‑scale campuses.

   Regulatory efforts like Texas’s SB6 are attempts to manage explosive interconnection dema…

6. Fixing the grid, with Rob Gramlich

   6 juli 2026 · 33 min

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   In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana speaks with Rob Gramlich, founder of Grid Strategies and a leading voice on U.S. transmission policy, market design, and interconnection reform. With decades of experience across government and industry—including time at Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)—Rob unpacks the structural challenges shaping the next phase of solar and storage deployment. Lees meer

   The conversation explores why transmission constraints and interconnection delays have become critical bottlenecks, how market design is evolving in response to large-scale renewables, and what policy reforms could unlock faster deployment. From permitting reform to capacity valuation and the growing role of storage, this episode highlights the shift from simply building clean energy to integrating and valuing it effectively within the grid.

   Takeaways

   Interconnection delays are driven by outdated, serial study processes and limited transmission capacity

   Queue backlogs are self-reinforcing, with developers submitting multiple applications to manage uncertainty

   Transmission expansion is the most effective long-term solution to reduce interconnection costs and delays

   Market saturation is reducing solar’s marginal value, particularly during midday hours

   Battery storage is reshaping price dynamics and unlocking new value streams

   Capacity value for solar declines as penetration increases, impacting project economics

   Policy reform, especially around permitting, could significantly accelerate deployment timelines

   Long-term PPAs remain critical for revenue certainty in volatile wholesale markets

   Market design still reflects legacy fossil-based systems and needs adaptation for renewables

   Access to broader procurement mechanisms could unlock more stable demand for clean energy

   Chapters

   00:00 Introduction and Rob Gramlich’s background

   02:00 Why transmission and interconnection became critical bottlenecks

   05:00 How interconnection works and where it breaks down

   09:00 Regio…

7. Why the grid can't keep up, with Michelle Davis

   16 juni 2026 · 33 min

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   Solar has become the world's fastest-growing source of new power generation, but record deployment has not translated into falling global emissions at the pace many expected. In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana sits down with Michelle Davis, Head of Global Solar at Wood Mackenzie, to unpack one of the biggest paradoxes in the energy transition: if solar is winning, why does decarbonization still feel so difficult? Lees meer

   Drawing on global market data and years of forecasting experience, Michelle explores the forces shaping solar's next chapter. From grid constraints and transmission bottlenecks to AI-driven electricity demand, data center growth, project quality concerns, and the surprising rise of balcony solar in Europe, this conversation goes beyond deployment numbers to examine the systems that ultimately determine whether clean energy can deliver on its promise.

   Takeaways

   * Why Wood Mackenzie intentionally takes a conservative approach to forecasting

   * The solar market trends most analysts underestimated

   * Why record solar deployment has not yet translated into rapid emissions reductions

   * How transmission and interconnection delays are slowing progress

   * The growing disconnect between public support for solar and local project opposition

   * Why balcony solar is expanding faster than expected in Europe

   * The risks that cost pressure creates for module and project quality

   * How AI and data centers are reshaping electricity demand forecasts

   * Why new gas generation is still growing alongside renewables

   * The single infrastructure investment that could unlock the next phase of solar growth

   Chapters

   00:00 Introduction and the responsibility of forecasting

   04:35 Mentorship, women in energy, and financial independence

   08:12 Solar's paradox: record growth and record emissions

   13:01 What the data says versus industry narratives

   16:44 The rise of balcony solar in Europe

   21:29 Where the industry may be overconfident

   24:22 AI, data centers, and exploding ele…

8. Building the sustainable cloud Europe needs, with Sabrina Breidert

   13 mei 2026 · 25 min

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   In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana speaks with Sabrina Breidert, Head of Sales at Yorizon, about the intersection of digital infrastructure, energy transition, and European sovereignty. As AI-driven workloads accelerate and data center demand rises across Europe, the conversation explores how cloud infrastructure is becoming a strategic pillar of both sustainability and resilience. Lees meer

   Sabrina shares how Yorizon is rethinking the hyperscaler model with a distributed edge approach: modular, wood-based data centers powered by 100% renewable energy, designed for carbon transparency, regulatory alignment, and local integration. From liquid cooling and district heating reuse to open-source architecture and vendor independence, the discussion highlights how sustainability, sovereignty, and performance can reinforce one another rather than compete.

   Takeaways

   Why cloud infrastructure is no longer “neutral” in the energy transition

   The risks of centralized hyperscaler dependency

   How distributed edge data centers improve resilience and compliance

   Achieving PUE below 1.1 through integrated design

   Reusing waste heat to support local district heating networks

   Transparent carbon reporting per workload for ESG compliance

   Open-source architecture as a sovereignty strategy

   Preparing for AI workloads with high-density, liquid-cooled GPU racks

   Building regional economic ecosystems around data infrastructure

   Chapters

   00:00 – Introduction to Yorizon and the European cloud vision

   03:30 – Hyperscalers vs. distributed edge infrastructure

   06:15 – Sustainability beyond marketing: energy, PUE, and efficiency

   09:00 – Liquid cooling and district heating integration

   11:45 – ESG reporting and carbon transparency

   14:00 – Digital sovereignty and open-source cloud stacks

   18:00 – Community impact and regional partnerships

   20:00 – AI readiness and sustainable scaling

   23:00 – Expansion plans across Europe through 2030

   25:00 – The future of co-located renewables and data centers

   To…

9. Flexibility, Security and Solar’s Next Growth Phase, with Walburga Hemetsberger

   14 april 2026 · 27 min

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   In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana speaks with Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of Solar Power Europe, about the shifting priorities shaping Europe’s energy transition. As solar becomes a central pillar of energy security and competitiveness, the conversation explores how policy, flexibility, and system design must evolve to support the next phase of growth. Lees meer

   Walburga outlines Solar Power Europe’s four strategic priorities: electrification, flexibility, resilient supply chains, and strong communications. From the urgent need to deploy 10x more battery storage by 2030 to the role of solar in powering AI-driven data centers, this episode examines what it will take to move from rapid capacity additions to a truly future-proof energy system.

   Takeaways:

   Solar is no longer just a climate solution — it is a strategic security asset for Europe.

   Electrification must accelerate beyond today’s stalled 23% share of final energy.

   Flexibility — through demand response and battery storage — is now essential.

   Europe needs 10x more battery capacity by 2030 to stabilize solar growth.

   Revenue stacking and regulatory reform are critical for battery investment.

   Implementation gaps, especially in permitting and grid reform, remain a major bottleneck.

   Energy security strategies must evolve beyond fossil-based thinking.

   Solar’s growth is strong, but business models are under pressure from negative pricing and curtailment.

   Data centers and AI could become key drivers of new electricity demand — if powered sustainably.

   Chapters:

   00:00 – Introduction and Walburga’s journey into solar

   03:00 – Solar Power Europe’s mission and strategic priorities

   08:00 – Energy security and Europe’s electrification challenge

   13:30 – What flexibility really means for grids and markets

   17:00 – Why Europe needs 10x more batteries

   21:30 – Policy gaps and regulatory barriers to storage

   23:30 – AI, data centers, and future electricity demand

   26:45 – Solar’s growth trajectory and long-term confidence

   …

10. Latin America’s solar boom, with Guilherme Chrispim

    31 maart 2026 · 42 min

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    Latin America’s renewable energy story is no longer just about installing more megawatts. In this episode of Watt Matters, Ana speaks with Guilherme Chrispim, Brazilian solar leader and former head of the Brazilian Distributed Generation Association, about how the region is navigating rapid growth, grid constraints, and the next phase of the energy transition. Lees meer

    From Brazil’s distributed generation boom to Chile’s early leadership in battery storage, Guilherme shares an insider’s view of how different markets are evolving — and why integration, flexibility, and digital intelligence now matter more than raw capacity additions. As curtailment rises and data center demand accelerates, the conversation shifts toward storage, system efficiency, and the role of smarter networks in ensuring sustainable growth.

    This episode explores how Latin America can transform today’s bottlenecks into tomorrow’s competitive advantage — and why the next chapter of renewables will be defined by optimization, not expansion alone.

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