The 42nd edition of the European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC), held in Bilbao from September 22 to 26, 2025, once again reaffirmed its role as the world’s leading forum for innovation in photovoltaic research, technology, and applications. The event gathered scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders from around the globe to discuss cutting-edge advances and build stronger cooperation for a sustainable energy future.

Among the highlights of this year’s edition, Cristina Sanz, a researcher at the Instituto de Energía Solar of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (IES-UPM), received one of the prestigious Student Awards 2025, granted annually to the most outstanding student contributions presented during the conference. Only six awards were given worldwide, underscoring the significance of her achievement.

Cristina Sanz was recognised for her study, “Renewable Energy Communities and Citizen Participation in Technological and Social Innovations,” which explores how citizens can drive innovation in both technology and social models of the energy transition. Her research highlights the growing importance of energy communities as catalysts for collective action, where individuals not only consume energy but co-design, share, and manage it locally.

Her work is closely connected to the AURORA project, an EU-funded initiative that empowers citizens across Europe — including in Madrid — to co-create local energy communities, adopt digital tools such as the AURORA Energy Tracker App, and collectively reduce carbon emissions. The project demonstrates how community engagement and open data can accelerate both technical and social innovation, making the energy transition more inclusive, transparent, and effective.

Cristina’s recognition at EU PVSEC reflects this evolving vision: one where people are no longer passive users but active innovators in the path toward decarbonisation. Her study reinforces IES-UPM’s and AURORA’s shared mission to promote a just, participatory, and citizen-driven energy transition in Europe.