The Solar+Storage Exclusive Forum 2023 powered by pv magazine 

In a new cooperation, pv magazine is partnering with Turkish event company Solis and the country’s solar industry association Gensed on a cutting-edge conference program at the Solar+Storage Exclusive Forum. The event was a part of the Solar+Storage Next Generation Fair in Istanbul on August 31 and September 1 2023 and it was shaping up a key knowledge-sharing opportunity for the country’s solar and energy storage industries.  

Abstract of the session 1: 

Expanding upstream: powerful cell technologies to lock in Turkey’s solar manufacturing future

At the crucial junction between Asia’s awe-inspiring solar manufacturing industry and Europe’s blossoming markets, Türkiye could very well play an increasingly important role in the PV panel supply chain. And the country is starting from an established base as it currently has more than 15 GW of theoretical PV panel manufacturing capacity.  

However, to truly control future developments and gain independence from shifting policies, Türkiye’s manufacturers must expand further upstream – to cell, wafer and even ingot production. Vertical integration would insulate manufacturers from price fluctuations and logistical bottlenecks, while delivering independence from material suppliers, resulting in a stronger PV panel export environment. 

Key points of the session:  

• Which solar cell and panel technologies can be adopted to deliver powerful and reliable PV panel production (TOPCon, heterojunction, back contact, tandem cells, high density modules)  
• How a technology roadmap can be executed alongside equipment and material suppliers 
• How new cell technologies impact existing manufacturing lines 
• What is the outlook for investment amortization as manufacturers expand up the supply chain? 
• How Türkiye’s PV manufacturers can survive with fierce competition and where scaling differences are large? 
• What strategies should be followed for the R&D of new cell technologies that could be developed in Türkiye? 
• What is the value proposition of locally produced PV wafers and cells and from which level of the value chain does it make sense to produce locally? 

Abstract of the session 2: 

The energy storage opportunity: the large-scale battery systems and applications shaping the next generation of Turkish PV

With grid constraints likely to hamper unfettered future PV power plant development, large-scale energy storage is set to play an increasing role in the market segment’s growth in Türkiye. But big battery costs remain high, and the right hard-and-software choices must be made for the financials to pan out.  

Ways in which revenue streams for energy storage can be accessed will also play a large role in dictating the success of a project. Co-location energy storage with solar is also an important consideration and right-sizing systems requires careful attention.  

Key points of the session:  

• Which energy storage technologies are well placed to be applied to projects in Türkiye 
• Which new cell chemistries are on the rise or being studied (eg. sodium batteries) and how are battery production capacities evolving 
• How can revenue stacks be structured to make big battery bets pay off  
• What are the key considerations in large-scale energy storage project development 
• How should the consideration of degradation in the batteries be taken in to account for sustainable and feasible solar-plus-storage projects 

• As safety is very important in solar-plus-storage projects, what are the key points that investors should be aware of 
• What is the role for batteries in frequency regulation of grids or load shifting?  
• How can battery operation be optimized to both decrease grid instability and deliver rapid returns for investors 
• How can the world’s solar-plus-storage market progress from one hour to multiple hours of storage as grids require longer duration storage