The 29th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition will take place in 2014 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On behalf of the Scientific Committee it is my honour and pleasure to invite you to submit an abstract with your latest scientific achievements and findings in the entire spectrum of photovoltaics ranging from fundamental material research to policy assessments. To guarantee the scientific quality of the programme, each abstract is scored by three independent reviewers before the topic organisers – at least two for each subtopic – select the oral and visual presentations.

By the time we will meet in Amsterdam, the PV generation capacity in the European Union will have surpassed the 2020 target of 84 GW installed, highlighting the need for new ambitious targets for 2030. World wide photovoltaic electricity generation systems are attracting the lion's share of renewable energy investment and electricity from these systems could supply up to 700 TWh or close to 3% of worldwide electricity demand by 2020. These findings show that PV is on the way to be a major electricity source in the coming years.

To reach this goal, more focus is needed on the real cost of PV generated electricity at the time of demand. The fact that in some countries the share of PV electricity generation has already a significant impact on the electricity exchange prices during sunny days, not only shows the huge potential, but also increases the urgency to provide cost effective solutions for dispatchable PV electricity and cost optimisation of grid services from PV systems.

The political and economic discussion in the PV sector is shifting from installed capacities to levelised costs of electricity (LCOE) per kWh during the different times of the day. These costs are not only influenced by the available solar radiation, efficiency, performance, reliability and lifetime of the PV systems but equally by design, orientation, sizing and placing of the PV systems in the electricity system. Available auxiliary grid services like voltage and frequency stabilisation as well as local and central storage options add to the value of PV generated electricity.

Responding to suggestions from the scientific community, the 29th EU PVSEC Conference programme tackles these challenges with the adaptation of the topical structure. This allows for an increased focus on the topics of reliability issues on module and system level, as well as on aspects of grid integration and dispatchable electricity from PV systems. This includes the need for new materials and concepts in module design and manufacturing, for power electronics and for the use of PV as building material and customer driven developments. The associated necessary changes in policy perception, legal frameworks and related regulations complete this topical extension.

To ensure a good and high quality coverage of these new focal topics, the EU PVSEC encourages the active participation of experts from these crucial segments. This addresses to utilities, grid operators and energy service providers as well as to the building-, power electronics- and storage industries to participate in the developments and introduction of solutions for the integration of PV as a major energy source into the energy sector and to open up new markets beyond the current business models.

The Conference is designed to provide a platform for knowledge exchange on the latest scientific results, developments in policies and deployment of this truly global energy technology. For this purpose the programme will be structured in a way to satisfy the needs of both, the wider audience and the scientific specialists. The programme will offer overviews of the latest scientific findings, industrial progress and political landscape through key-note and plenary presentations. It will also provide specialised thematic sessions were details are presented in a more focused and technical manner.

I am confident that YOU, the scientific, industrial and political PV community, will contribute again with many high quality papers and give the EU PVSEC Scientific Committee the opportunity to select and present a Conference programme which reflects the scientific excellence as well as the wide range of topics of the global PV solar sector.

I am looking forward to meeting you in Amsterdam to present, follow and discuss the latest trends and developments in photovoltaics.

Dr. Arnulf Jäger-Waldau
European Commission, DG JRC, Ispra, Italy
EU PVSEC Technical Programme Chairman