Supporting Europe’s energy future: EU Sustainable Energy Week

Solar power will play an integral role in the redesign of Europe’s energy system. Forecasters agree that the sun and other renewable energy sources will provide the majority of Europe’s electricity by 2050. Reaching these long-term goals requires partnerships between national and regional governments, the private sector and local communities.

This summer solar power offset €29 billion in gas imports for Europeans. There are even more opportunities for solar to save money, slash carbon and seed new employment opportunities in the EU and beyond.

As part of the European Commission’s Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) programme, global solar power company Lightsource bp has been showcasing how it is delivering solar power for our world and providing a behind-the-scenes look at the construction and operation of solar power projects.

The events at Lightsource bp projects in the UK, Greece and Spain were attended by local politicians, officials, journalists and renewable energy students. They showed the work required to deliver solar power plants that work in tandem with nature and the communities that host them. 

In northern Greece, Lightsource bp opened the doors to its 225MWp Kozani project currently under construction – a first for the company. Senior representatives from Lightsource bp discussed their work in detail from the opportunities to enrich biodiversity, co-locating solar with a growing variety of agricultural activities and the technology and engineering that ensures sites are built with safety at the heart of every decision.

In Aragón, in northern Spain, Lightsource bp opened the doors to Vendimia, its 247MWp flagship cluster of five sites and first to enter operation in Spain, last year. Senior representatives from Lightsource bp discussed their ambitions to further grow the company’s footprint in the country in collaboration with local institutions and communities.

Kareen Boutonnat, CEO, EMEA and APAC, Lightsource bp said: “The ambition required for solar to fully meet its potential in Europe is immense. Success will require deepening existing partnerships and building new ones from scratch. At the centre of that is the relationship between developers, local authorities and communities. EU SEW is a great opportunity for Lightsource bp to demonstrate our approach to early community engagement, being a good neighbour while delivering a best-in-class solar asset.”

Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO at SolarPower Europe said: “With Lightsource bp’s leading role amongst solar developers in Europe, it is wonderful to see this latest showcase of best practice in community engagement and biodiversity enhancement. To support European solar acceleration to reach 750GWDC by 2030, dialogue with citizens is critical. Exercises like Lightsource bp’s project roadshow also raise awareness in the variety of career opportunities in solar, and we applaud their dynamic outreach to students and the future solar workforce.”

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To find out more about how we’re working towards a sustainable energy future, explore our solar projects.