Europe wants to reduce its dependence on foreign energy imports to protect energy security and meet the Net Zero goals through the diversification of renewables. This mission takes coordination and cooperation from the private to the public sector to balance the domestic and foreign market dependence with capacity.
Michelle del Valle, CEO of FinSat and board member of the Global Solar Council, explains in an interview with Strategic Energy Europe that transitioning to a more autonomous solar industry will require “intensive capital investment and long-term vision.”
“The Net Zero Industry Act can make a difference, but it’s a process that will take time. China invested 30 years in building up its manufacturing capacity,” Del Valle states. In her view, building a strong European solar industry requires a combination of stable regulatory frameworks, political alignment, and large-scale financing—conditions that are not yet uniformly in place across the region.
In summary, an annual look at “what we have” “what we don’t have” and “what we need” will help evolve the balance of foreign imports on critical resources with a reality check that does not halt what can be done now with foreign imports to build out long-term infrastructure for energy independence through solar.
For Del Valle, the key is not to eliminate dependency, but to diversify it smartly. “Each country should have control over its own supply chain without forgoing the benefits of global trade,” she says in an exclusive interview with Strategic Energy Europe.
Prices, tariffs, and geopolitical pressure
Asked about solar panel price trends, Del Valle refrains from making specific predictions. “With ongoing trade route disruptions and tariffs, there’s a lot of uncertainty. It’s better to secure contracts and diversify suppliers,” she recommends.
She also warns of the domino effect that tariffs and geopolitical tensions have on the global solar industry. “When trade routes become bottlenecked and taxes drive up equipment costs, the entire sector feels the hit in their bottom lines,” she notes.
“We’ve worked hard to reduce costs and open up the market, but current bottlenecks clearly make the environment more challenging,” she affirms. In this context, she calls for greater transparency in the discussion around pricing and tariffs.
An unprecedented surge in energy demand
The year 2025 marks a turning point in the global solar market. According to Del Valle, solar energy is now the cheapest energy source worldwide. “The sector has matured. It’s no longer an alternative—it’s a pillar of energy security,” she states.
She adds: “We’re seeing rising energy demand in Europe, along with a clear need to reduce reliance on global trade to power local markets.”
A key driver in this shift is the rise of data centres, now among the biggest energy consumers. “In the United States alone, $170 billion in data centres is being installed this year. And 17 gigawatts will be required just to power them,” she points out.
Europe has 1,200 data centres, with a 20 per cent increase in demand compared to the US, with around 5,000 and a 24 per cent increase in demand. (KPMG, 2024)
According to the European Data Centre Association (EUDCA), the continent’s data centres aim to operate with 75% renewable energy by 2025 and 100% by 2030, though they acknowledge major technical challenges ahead.
Data centres are energy guzzlers. Data is an economic and a security topic; thus, housing data in a domicile where the data is collected serves national security advantages at the cost of energy requirements. In short, the high standards for data protection for the people of Europe will require a deep look at localising data centres that can store their data and just how much energy that will require. Taking an approach to generating your own power to power your nation’s business data is a sovereign approach that serves to protect data security and energy security via solar power, harmonised and transparent cross-border frameworks, and grid advancements.
The grid: a bottleneck for the transition
Despite this momentum, solar deployment faces a critical obstacle: the electric grid. “Grid quality, capacity, and connection barriers are the biggest challenges we face today,” Del Valle warns.
She proposes a pan-European framework to enable coordinated investments and faster deployment. “We need a stable, long-term structure and a collective framework so multiple nations can agree on how to expand cross-border grid infrastructure,” she explains.
Alongside structural reform, she stresses the need for subsidies and incentives that help shape the market. “These are signals businesses need in order to establish themselves. Companies are typically much more agile and fast, but policies must be crystal clear to drive the sector forward,” she analyses.
The strategic role of energy storage
Del Valle emphasises that energy storage will be key to strengthening solar systems. “It allows us to better manage energy and release it exactly when needed, without relying on the solar cycle,” she explains.
“Storage builds a more robust and complete system. Imagine a digitised grid—it works like a faucet: you can release energy exactly when needed, with full control over every kilowatt,” she illustrates.
She notes that storage will be fundamental for co-locating solar plants and supporting an interconnected grid.
Educating the real estate sector
Beyond traditional developers, Del Valle sees growing interest from the real estate sector. “There’s massive potential in turning unused rooftops into solar assets. A property owner could generate a new income stream as an energy provider,” she says.
This model not only increases property profitability but also democratizes access to distributed generation and enhances local energy resilience.
A call for global collaboration
Finally, Del Valle highlights that the Global Solar Council is currently working on an initiative to improve global grid planning. “We have a white paper in development, and we’ll be presenting it at New York Climate Week and COP,” she announces.
“We want to build this transition together. Europe has a solid foundation, but it needs to align its frameworks and accelerate investment in the grid and industrial base,” she concludes.
