Interview

REFU Addresses EU Market Shift to Utility-Scale and NIS2 Security Compliance

At The smarter E Europe 2026, Daniel Fuchs, CCO at EUPD Group, speaks with Tilo Zwesper, Sales Representative DACH at REFU. They discuss the evolving European energy market, noting a shift from residential to C&I and utility-scale projects, and the increasing demand for data security, personal service, and efficient commissioning.

Interviewer · EUPD Group
Daniel Fuchs
CCO · EUPD Group
Guest · REFU
Tilo Zwesper
Sales Representative DACH · REFU
Filmed ·Runtime 03:13Interview ·
Interview
03:13
Filmed on site · No editorial direction beyond question set · Captions auto-generated, reviewed by EUPD Group

Key takeaways

4 points · 03:13 video
  1. Market Shift to C&I and Utility
    The European PV market is experiencing a significant segmental shift, moving from a large share of residential installations towards C&I and utility-scale projects. Tilo Zwesper of REFU confirms this trend, observing substantial growth in the utility market.
  2. NIS2 Regulations Drive Security Focus
    New EU regulations, particularly NIS2, are making EPCs and PV plant owners personally responsible for security. This regulatory change intensifies the market's focus on robust data security and system control.
  3. Demand for Personal Service and Trust
    Competition in the larger-scale segments is shifting from price to factors like brand trust, long-term commitment, and personal service. Customers increasingly seek direct support rather than impersonal ticket lines or long phone waits.
  4. Efficiency in Commissioning
    Operational efficiency, especially during commissioning, is a key market demand for EPCs. REFU addresses this by providing a logger that allows pre-insertion of all inverter parameters, potentially saving multiple days on a plant.

European Market Shift and EPC Priorities

Daniel Fuchs, CCO at EUPD Group, notes EUPD Research's observation of a segmental shift in the European energy market from residential installations towards commercial & industrial (C&I) and utility-scale projects. Tilo Zwesper, Sales Representative DACH at REFU, confirms this trend, highlighting that the residential market is shrinking while the utility market is significantly rising, presenting new models for profitability. Fuchs further indicates that competition in larger EPC segments is evolving beyond price, placing greater emphasis on brand trust, security, and long-term commitment. Zwesper echoes this, acknowledging the heightened focus among EPCs on securing installations and the personal responsibility associated with owning a utility PV plant.

"The residential market is shrinking, and especially the utility market is rising a lot." Zwesper · 00:38

Regulatory Impact and Data Security

Tilo Zwesper highlights the significant impact of new EU regulations, specifically NIS2, on the market landscape. These rules assign personal responsibility to EPCs and utility PV plant owners for security, particularly regarding potential blackouts or system failures. This regulatory shift has led to increased demand for robust security solutions, evident in inquiries about "German security" at industry events like InterSolar. According to Zwesper, REFU addresses this by prioritizing data security and system control, offering solutions that meet these stringent requirements.

"There's especially the shift with the EU regulations into NIS2 and these new rules." Zwesper · 01:17

REFU's Response: Service and Operational Efficiency

REFU's differentiation strategy focuses on addressing market demands for data security, system control, and trust. Tilo Zwesper explains that the company employs its own logger to ensure these aspects, aligning with the evolving expectations of EPCs and plant owners. Beyond security, Zwesper notes a return to the demand for personal service, where customers prefer direct engagement over automated support systems. Additionally, REFU's logger offers significant operational efficiency by enabling the pre-insertion of all inverter parameters, which can save two to three days during the commissioning phase of a PV plant.

"It's all coming back to personal service." Zwesper · 02:23

Chapters

Chapters · click to jump
00:08
Introduction to REFU at The smarter E Europe
Daniel Fuchs of EUPD Group introduces Tilo Zwesper from REFU to discuss market trends.
00:18
Market Shift to C&I and Utility Scale
The discussion covers the observed market shift from residential PV to C&I and utility-scale installations in Europe.
00:53
EPC Priorities and NIS2 Regulation Impact
Speakers address the changing priorities for EPCs, emphasizing brand trust and security, particularly due to NIS2 regulations.
01:50
REFU's Differentiation and Offerings
Tilo Zwesper outlines REFU's distinct factors, including data security, personal service, and time-saving commissioning solutions.
02:52
Conclusion and Outlook
Daniel Fuchs thanks Tilo Zwesper for insights into REFU's commitment to the energy transition.

Interview transcript

Auto-generated · reviewed · ~3 min read
Hello and welcome. My name is Daniel Fuchs. I am the CCO at EUPD Group, and I'm very pleased to have with me today, Tilo from refu. Welcome. Thank you. So when we look in the current market environment in Europe, we at EUPD Research, we see that there is some segmental shift happening. We had a large share of residential installations in the past, and we now see that there is a transition towards C&I and utility scale. How at refu are you seeing this development? We see exactly the same figures. The residential market is shrinking, and especially the utility market is rising a lot. There are new models to earn money there and we are looking forward to be part of this. Yeah. And when we talk about EPCs, so in the larger scale segments, we also see that it's not the competition anymore about the price. There's also a shift in the landscape. It's more about brand trust, about security, and long-term commitment. Is that something you can echo and how is refu tackling that? Yeah, that's exactly what we see as well. There's especially the shift with the EU regulations into NIS2 and these new rules. So the EPCs are focusing a lot on securing there. And even if you are owning a PV plant, a utility plant, you're personally responsible if it happens a blackout or something. So this change is really... You can feel it during all InterSolar, the people came to our booth asking for German security. So yeah, we see this as well. Okay. Yeah. That's a USP, of course, in the European market, you can play out. When we now look a little bit deeper into the portfolio and the strategy of refu. So what are your distinct differentiation factors you see? Yeah. So like I just said, it's focusing on this data security and system control. We have our own logger that ensures this. But it's also, like you said, the change is not just on security, but also on trust and service. So people don't want to be in the ticket line anymore and wait hours on the telephone. It's coming back to personal service. And then, of course, like we said, NIS2. And last big shift is saving time, especially on the plant. The teams don't want to go there, put all the parameters on the inverters. So that's something we provide as well, that in our logger, you can insert all the parameters, and save two or three days of commissioning. Wow. Yeah. Thank you very much for these great insights and thank you for refu's great commitment towards the EPC community and the energy transition in Europe as a whole. Thank you very much, Tilo. Thank you.
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Frequently asked questions

According to Daniel Fuchs of EUPD Group, there’s a shift from residential PV installations towards C&I and utility-scale projects. Tilo Zwesper from REFU confirms this, noting the utility market’s significant growth and new economic models.

Tilo Zwesper states that new EU regulations, specifically NIS2, are making EPCs and plant owners personally responsible for security. This drives a strong focus on data security and system control for PV installations to prevent blackouts or failures.

Daniel Fuchs indicates that EPCs in larger segments are increasingly prioritizing brand trust, security, and long-term commitment over price. Tilo Zwesper affirms this, highlighting a demand for reliable, secure solutions, especially concerning personal liability.

REFU focuses on data security and system control, providing its own logger to ensure these aspects for PV plants. Tilo Zwesper emphasizes that this approach addresses the market’s need for security and also aligns with the shift towards personal service and trust.

REFU’s logger allows for pre-inserting all necessary parameters, which can save two to three days during plant commissioning. Tilo Zwesper explains this efficiency helps teams avoid manually configuring inverters on-site, streamlining operations and saving time.