Denmark: Minister to speak at solar energy conference

COPENHAGEN –Martin Lidegaard, the Danish minister of Energy, Climate & Building, will be one of the speakers at the ’The Solar Future’ conference in Copenhagen on 21 March. He will explain the Danish solar energy policy for the coming years.

’What will Denmark’s solar energy policy look like in the near future?’ This is one of the questions the Danish minister Martin Lidegaard will answer at the international conference ’The Solar Future: Denmark’, in Copenhagen on 21 March. He will explain how solar energy will contribute to the renewable energy targets of the Danish centre-left government.

"In Denmark’s aspiration to become independent from fossil fuels by 2050, solar energy constitutes an important component. The political initiatives by the Danish government ensure that investments in solar energy are attractive for private households and companies," the Danish minister says. "I am pleased that the conference focuses on the potential of solar energy. "

Both the Danish and international solar energy industry look forward to his talk at the conference, because it is not yet clear how the new law should be interpreted and this has caused a standstill in the market. The new rules were introduced at the end of last year and cut back on generous subsidies, which caused an abrupt halt of the explosive growth in rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar energy systems for private households.

”We are looking forward to hear how the last framework for the new law falls into place, so that the financial consequences become more transparent for our customers,” says Jacob Vestersager Engdal, specialist at EnergiMidt, the Danish energy utility that has worked with solar PV since 1993 and has become one of the largest solar system installers in the country.

”Fortunately the new rules have not put a stop to the big interest for solar energy, but it has changed the type of customers,” says Jacob Vestersager Engdal.
As the Danish government made it more advantageous to install larger solar PV systems, the new customers are large businesses and companies, farmers, housing associations and neigborhood communities. But the Danish solar is awaiting ministerial guidelines. And time is pressing, as the framework conditions for commercial entreprises stipulate that the solar systems have to be installed before the end of this year.
At the conference Jacob Vestersager Engdal will illustrate EnergiMidt's vision on solar energy application in Denmark and talk about grid development and local PV initiatives.

As Denmark is a very attractive growth market for solar energy, since it has the highest electrice price in Europe, ’The Solar Future: Denmark’ conference will focus on the new opportunities in Denmark and provide inspiration to the solar PV market.

Other speakers at this international conference, which will take place in the Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel in Copenhagen on 21 March, include Roebyem Anders, CEO Zonline. She will talk about the future of creative financing and marketing of solar PV in a market without government subsidies. Pietro Radoia, analyst in the Solar team at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, will explain how international solar industry developments impacts the Danish PV market. Thomas Hillig, vice president Module Sales, Innotech Solar AS, will talk about the Scandinavian solar market and regional developments.