Robert Kenny
You are probably reading this because you are planning to share your work or are interested in learning about PV and the energy transition at the leading event for PV research. You are in the right place – the EU PVSEC covers the whole value chain of solar PV, the fastest growing energy source that is powering the energy transition1,2. It showcases research from leading workers in the field as well as the leading companies in the sector, as can be seen in these highlights. I am for this reason pleased to announce the call for papers for the 43rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference (EU PVSEC), which will take place in Rotterdam, 14-18 September 2026.
Renewable sources such as wind and the faster growing solar PV are now mature and affordable industrial ecosystems that are rapidly growing and transforming the global energy system. No corner of the globe is untouched by this transformation, which is destined to lead to the eventual phase-out of expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
Such growth naturally comes with challenges which need addressing in the context of the energy sector as a whole and indeed of wider society. The broader energy system needs to understand what PV technologies can offer and conversely the PV sector needs to understand how its systems can fully integrate with an increasingly electrified energy system.
I highlight some key challenges here. The large amounts of variable power require improved grid management strategies and flexibility enablers, including storage. PV systems also require space, and the good news is that they can easily and efficiently work integrated into buildings and other infrastructure, floating, or complementing agriculture. During this transition it is also essential to engage policy makers and society to ensure that everyone can share the benefits. PV also needs to prove itself as 100% sustainable, and much progress is being made in reducing material usage, especially those in short supply and ensuring full recyclability. Supply chain resilience is also of importance to ensure all regions of the world can always have full access to this irreplaceable technology and can have fair access to clean energy technologies. Even though current cell technologies are already very competitive, progress continues, and new cell material and design concepts are constantly leading to improvements in efficiency, costs and material consumption. The rapid expansion of digitalisation and the application of AI techniques throughout the value chain, in design, modelling, operation and O&M is critical.
The scientific programme is broken down in 5 topics: Silicon Materials and Cells, addressing improvements in feedstock, wafering and high-efficiency cell concepts; Perovskites and Other Thin-Films; Tandems; New Concepts, focusing on stability, scalable processing and next-generation architectures; Photovoltaic Modules, covering module design, manufacturing and performance and durability; Systems Design and Operation; Applications, examining PV and hybrid systems and the range of applications like Floating, Agri-PV and BIPV; and Photovoltaics in the Energy Transition, analysing and developing new deployment pathways, grid integration, sustainability, socio-economics and evolving market frameworks.
I warmly invite you to submit your work and join us in Rotterdam to ensure your contribution to solving all these challenges and more.
1 IEA (2025), Renewables 2025, IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2025, Licence: CC BY 4.0
2 IRENA (2025), Renewable capacity statistics 2025, International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi.
