The future of the solar market at the Innovation Cloud

A high level of attendance and a great sense of satisfaction marked the first edition of The Innovation Cloud- Solarexpo, which ended last Friday after three days at Fiera Milano-Rho. 31,300 visitors from 83 countries, acknowledged by exhibitors as being among the leading professionals in the field, came to the Trade Fair's pavilions and took part in 60 conferences of national and international significance. All the operators praised the exhibition's innovative approach in presenting the changes in the world of cutting-edge energy technologies.

“In just three days, our exhibition has rapidly brought operators to a shared conviction:  notwithstanding the fact that the macroeconomic framework of the country is still very difficult and many uncertainties in the regulations persist, the worst is over. There are promising areas of research and innovation in many fields of technology and the renewable energies and energy efficiency sector is dynamic, responsive and increasingly competitive,” said Luca Zingale, founder and scientific director of The Innovation Cloud.

The events of The Innovation Cloud-Solarexpo provided the framework for an open, in-depth discussion about the future of the solar market, both in the context of grid-parity, such as the post-incentives Italian market, and in the global arena, through the Global Solar Summit.

The conference ‘Photovoltaic Energy in Italy after Conto Energia (the feed-in tariff scheme)’ drew a large audience to a lively debate over the growing penetration of photovoltaic power in the national electricity system. In this area, a common position emerged between the Energy Authority and the Ministry of Economic Development, represented respectively by Andrea Galliani and Luciano Barra, over the proposal to extend the system's charges to solar electricity, which has so far been exempt. 

The topicality of the hybridization of technologies for intelligent buildings, networks and cities was expressed from various points of view, embracing innovation in construction in favour of energy efficiency and climate control, the new LED technologies and distribution networks in view of smart grids.

One of the conferences organised by RSE (Research on the Energy System) bore the title ‘E-Clima: climate control from renewable sources’ and this was a much appreciated opportunity for an in-depth examination of the awareness of innovation, applications and the potential of heat pumps, combined with solar energy. Proper instruments of support and electricity tariffs designed specifically for this technology emerged as desirable conditions in order to effectively achieve the widest uptake of climate control equipment powered by heat pumps. 

An attitude of greater openness towards energy efficiency and a sustainable lifestyle but limited awareness about the technological solutions to be adopted in order to achieve these goals was, was the main conclusion of a survey over Italian families focused on “Energy saving and comfort in buildings” carried out by ISPO on behalf of ANIE Confindustria and presented as part of a conference held at the end of the third day.

A proposal for an energy strategy up to 2030 was put before the public decision-makers and the public organisations active in the sector (the Energy Authority, GSE, ENEA, CNR etc.) by the organisation Coordinamento FREE, which brings together associations in the sector of renewable electricity and thermal sources and energy efficiency. In the conference ‘Towards a Sustainable Energy Strategy. Scenarios up to 2030’, Coordinamento FREE explained its position paper and presented an E-book in response to what has been widely acknowledged as “the systematic disinformation on photovoltaic.”

Furthermore, the events made possible a targeted, effective approach to the challenge of internationalization, which was the topic of many opportunities for updating and discussion with associations and research centres of international standing.

Two cooperation agreements and the launch of the first six green energy projects were announced as part of the conference ‘Delivering renewable solutions within the Mediterranean electricity market’ by RES4MED, the association formed by Enel Green Power, Edison, CESI, GSE, PwC and Milan Polytechnic in order to share strategies and experiences for a proper transition to clean energy in the Mediterranean.