The aim of the two-day summit is to provide attendees with information on the latest and upcoming polices across Europe and what they mean to their businesses; to inform about who is still lending and how companies can give banks the confidence they need to provide them with project finance; to discuss how to best mitigate and present risks for financing success to stand out from competition; and to present best practice on how to successfully secure project finance in a tight credit market from developers, banks, lawyers and EPCs who have already been successful. The summit will also enable attendees to find out who is providing equity for both solar technology and project; what expectations need to be fulfilled to obtain funding; and the advantages and disadvantages of the deal structures available to make the best decisions going forward.
According to the organisers of the event, New Solar Today, the summit is not a large anonymous expo, but is an exclusive high-level summit that only targets senior industry figures. This approach means attendees are guaranteed to meet only clued-in solar executives, i.e. the people who can and will help solar companies with their current challenges. “You will meet and network with more financiers, solar industry peers and experts here than at any over event in the world. If you are a member a of solar development company, venture capitalist, renewable energy investor, provider of renewable project finance, utility or researcher then you must attend this event,” claim New Solar Today.
A quick glimpse of the calibre of people who attended last year’s event certainly backs up this claim, with the marketing director of eSolar, the managing director of Zytech Solar, the finance director of Soltec Energías Renovables, and the chief financial officer of Abengoa in attendance. According to one attendee from Leonardo Energy: “New Solar Today conferences allowed me to gain quickly and spontaneously a good knowledge of these niche markets, and establish a dialogue with relevant stakeholders. For my work, these conferences are an obligatory stopover.”
Among speakers this year are Tom Howes from the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Policy Unit; Francesco d'avack, senior solar analyst from New Energy Finance; Joaquín Cervino, senior loan officer from European Investment Bank; Wayne Woo, investment director with Good Energies; Eusebio Güell, managing partner of SI Capital; Nicolas Chaudron, partner of Allianz - AGF Private Equity; and Patrick Burtis, investment manager from Amadeus Capital Partners.
This year’s event includes a special focus on Spain’s regulatory changes, including a comparison of last year’s tariffs and incentives with this year’s; up-to-the-minute information on the Royal Decree-Law 6/2009 (RDL); developments of the registry for the preliminary assignment of remuneration; and what to expect and how to prepare for the next round of requirements for installation.
The Desertec Project will also be in the spotlight. European Solar Investment and Finance Summit attendees will hear from experts on one of the most talked about project in the solar industry. A quick overview of the objectives, timelines and accomplishments of this project will be given, while the financial elements and the economics of the project – investments, costs, tariffs, etc. – will be discussed in more detail. An insider view of plans for this innovative concept in 5, 10, 15 years will also be given.
Finally, New Solar Today has also organised formal working group discussions this year to combine the collective thinking of all summit attendees to address the challenges the industry faces. Attendees will have the chance to get involved and put forward their our opinions in these vitally important discussions that will form the basis of feedback sessions and post-summit papers on the investment and finance issues that matter to those in the sector.
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