SolarPower Europe Urges EU to Boost Flexibility and Storage for Energy Security

During the Energy Council in Brussels, EU Energy Ministers discussed Europe’s energy security and affordability challenges. The debate underscored that renewable energy equals energy security, highlighting the need to replace fossil fuel dependency with secure, homegrown, and affordable renewables.

Ministers also reviewed the Affordable Energy Action Plan, proposed revisions to the EU’s energy security framework, and addressed preparations for next winter, emphasizing the importance of reducing fossil fuel reliance.

Dries Acke, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe, emphasized that while the Energy Council rightly prioritized affordability and security, it is essential to stop considering gas as part of the solution. He stressed that the true path forward lies in accelerating renewables, flexibility, and electrification to ensure clean energy is consistently available.

Acke highlighted that solar PV is already enhancing Europe’s energy security, but without a flexible grid, the region risks curtailing renewables and remaining vulnerable to fossil fuel volatility. He argued that investing in flexibility and storage is key to achieving energy autonomy, noting that a system built on renewables, flexibility, storage, and electrification could save EU taxpayers €30 billion annually on system costs by 2030 and €160 billion per year by 2040.

To achieve this, he urged the European Commission and EU Member States to adopt an EU Flexibility Package with a dedicated Storage Action Plan to complement the Grids Package. He pointed out the need to double grid interconnection capacity by 2030, as outlined in the EU Action Plan for Grids and the upcoming Grids Package under the Clean Industrial Deal (CID). However, he stressed that battery storage capacity must increase tenfold by 2030 to achieve true energy security.

Notes 

• In 2024 alone solar PV installed 66 GW in the EU; equal to powering 20 million more homes and businesses with low-cost, safe and clean energy. (SolarPower Europe)
• In 2024, solar overtook coal generation for the first time in the EU. New solar and wind together saved the EU € 59 billion fossil fuel import costs since 2019. (Ember)
• A flexible and electrified energy system based on renewables could save EU taxpayers €30 billion annually on energy system costs savings by 2030, and €160 billion per year by 2040. Discover Mission Solar 2040.
• We need to double grid interconnection capacity and at least multiply by 10 our battery energy storage capacity by 2030. Discover Mission Solar 2040.

What is flexibility?

Energy system flexibility is the capacity of an energy system to adapt to fluctuations in demand and supply. It relies on smart, interconnected grids, storage, and demand response to maintain stability and efficiency. Consumers, electricity producers, and storage technologies can leverage flexibility to adjust how they feed electricity into the grid or draw from it, aligning with grid requirements or solar availability.

In practice, this could involve a solar power plant paired with battery storage or a smart charging station that charges vehicles when rooftop solar PV generates surplus power. By enhancing efficiency, flexibility reduces the need for large-scale grid infrastructure investments, making the energy system more responsive and cost-effective.