Optimus Energy proudly participated in RE-Source Southeast 2026 in Sofia, Bulgaria, joining leading market participants, policymakers, renewable energy developers, and industry experts to exchange views on the future of the energy transition across Southeast Europe.
Representing the company, Stella Zacharia, CEO of Optimus Energy, and Georgios Giannopoulos, Chief Operating Officer (COO), shared their perspectives on the rapid transformation of electricity markets and the technologies, market mechanisms, and digital tools that are expected to shape the next phase of the region’s energy transition.
Greece’s Electricity Market Enters a New Era
During the session “Southeast Europe Market Updates”, moderated by Nikola Gazdov, Chairman of APSTE (Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity), Stella Zacharia presented the latest developments shaping the Greek electricity market.
She highlighted how the remarkable growth of renewable energy has fundamentally transformed market dynamics. As renewable penetration continues to increase, Greece is experiencing more frequent periods of zero and even negative electricity prices, alongside rising renewable energy curtailments. These developments clearly demonstrate that the market has entered a new stage of maturity, creating significant opportunities while also introducing new operational and commercial challenges for market participants.
Within this evolving landscape, Stella emphasized the strategic role of large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), which are now entering the Greek market at an accelerated pace. Battery storage is expected to become a cornerstone of Greece’s future energy system by providing the flexibility needed to reduce renewable energy curtailments, enhance grid stability, and facilitate the efficient integration of intermittent renewable generation into competitive electricity markets.
Digitalization: The Key Enabler of Modern Energy Markets
In the session “Moving the Market Forward”, moderated by Radoslav Mikov, Georgios Giannopoulos focused on the digital transformation of energy trading and the technologies required to unlock value in increasingly complex electricity markets.
As energy traders manage ever more sophisticated portfolios comprising renewable generation, battery energy storage systems, demand response resources, and other flexibility assets, market participation is becoming significantly more complex. Creating value no longer depends solely on market expertise but increasingly on the ability to leverage advanced digital technologies.
Georgios highlighted the growing importance of optimization platforms, algorithmic trading, artificial intelligence, real-time forecasting, automated energy management systems, and digital decision-support tools. These technologies enable aggregators to optimize portfolio performance across multiple electricity markets while responding rapidly to continuously changing market conditions.
He also stressed that success in the evolving energy landscape requires not only cutting-edge technology but also strong partnerships across the energy ecosystem, enabling greater flexibility and maximizing the value of clean energy resources.
Driving the Energy Transition Forward
The discussions at RE-Source Southeast 2026 reinforced the importance of regional collaboration as Southeast Europe accelerates its transition towards a more sustainable, flexible, and digital electricity system.
Optimus Energy remains committed to supporting this transition through innovative market solutions, advanced optimization technologies, and the integration of new flexibility resources that strengthen power system reliability, improve market efficiency, and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.
We would like to sincerely thank the organizers and all participants for the insightful discussions and valuable exchange of ideas. We look forward to continuing the dialogue and contributing to the next chapter of Southeast Europe’s energy transition.
