EEC trends. Photovoltaic cells on the wave

– Today it is difficult to predict anything, as well as when it comes to energy prices. A couple of years ago we knew it would be more expensive, but the scale of the current increases surprised everyone. Of course the energy market is open, and we are not separated from the principles of supply and demand. We are also at the beginning of transitions known as the energy transition and this is the cost of these changes – said ML Systems President, Dawid Cycoń, during the EEC Trends discussion.

This difficult situation has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has severely affected the global economy. Last year’s recovery after the 2020 crisis increased demand for energy carriers, including gas and coal, causing their prices to rise. This should have translated into energy prices.

The participants in the discussion unanimously emphasized that the best solution is the development of renewable energy sources, which will allow them to be independent from fossil fuel prices and reduce costs for electricity consumers. They emphasized that it is more efficient to use the energy where it is generated. This makes the system more efficient and cheaper, while still maintaining network mitigation.

Jacek Mezjauk, president of Enel X Polska, noted that the energy mix should be diversified. You should not depend on one supplier because it is too risky. – Until the hydrogen economy is to be developed, unstable RES must be supplemented with solutions such as energy storage, DSR services (temporary voluntary reduction or deferment of electricity consumption by consumers – ed.) and gas as a transition fuel, with gas as a flexible resource, he said, while it should The base contains renewable energy.

He added that the sun and the wind complement each other to some extent, so when the wind blows, the sun shines weakly and vice versa. He emphasized that in this context it was necessary to dilute the 10H principle, which impedes the development of onshore wind energy.

Michał Skorupa, CEO of E.ON Foton of the E.ON Group, stated that in the last quarter of last year, average energy prices in Europe were four times higher than in 2016-2020. No wonder consumers are looking for independence. Also in Poland, there is a very high interest in photovoltaics. This is connected not only with the rise in prices in the energy market, but also with the upcoming change in the settlement of producers of energy generated in household facilities, which will be less convenient for them.

Installers are already benefiting from the state of the market. We have the last months of old rules to settle product consumers. Right now, finding a free installer is almost a miracle. At the same time, assembly prices tripled – Cycoń said. But there is also a growing interest in heat pumps and warehouses. Customers also ask about the possibility of increasing home fixtures. The head of ML Systems expects that in the coming periods the economic situation will shift more and more towards large facilities.

The corporate response to expensive energy, apart from increasing renewable energy resources, is to strive to improve energy efficiency. The current situation is changing the thinking of CEOs of manufacturing companies. In the past, production in three shifts was planned and maximized, taking into account the availability of workers and equipment. Today, processes are being maximized towards energy resources – Cycoń said. – You should manage your resources in such a way that you use your own resources as much as possible – he added.

Of course, not every factory can be managed with such flexibility. – The blast furnace is difficult to extinguish. But the SME sector is already waiting for significant changes. This is where the possibilities of using intelligent management of production systems come into play, according to Cycoń. There is also more and more talk of energy cooperatives in special industrial zones. And this trend will evolve, as will the increasingly common Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for the purchase of green energy, concluded between the renewable energy producer and the end user.

Monica Borkoska