ELES’ First Online Workshop: LUMENS as the Bridge to Slovenia's Large-Scale Renewable Future

On Tuesday, 31 March 2026, consortium member ELES, the Slovenian combined electricity transmission and distribution system operator, held its first LUMENS warm-up event. The online workshop was dedicated to relevant Slovenian stakeholders, such as the Slovenian Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, local energy agency, Slovenian Photovoltaic Association, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, an energy trading and supply companies, producers and electricity market operator which also runs Centre for RES support.

With its main mission being the development of a digital tool for screening potential RES locations and initial feasibility evaluation in relation to the electricity grid and other specific operator requirements and defining services that can be provided by the utility-scale RES plants , ELES’ main objective for the event was to present the goals and activities of the LUMENS project, provide details on the digital tool, and to discuss the obstacles for the development of large RES projects in Slovenia.

So, what were the conclusions? Attendees emphasized the importance of the LUMENS tool transitioning from a mainly informative resource to one of operational utility, offering features such as digital pre-checks for grid connection and streamlined permitting procedures. There was an idea to integrate the tool with existing Slovenian national data systems to ensure transparency and a unified investor journey.

The participants also shared the opinion that utility-scale investments require a stable financial framework to ensure the predictability. Furthermore, the project must consider specifics of municipalities so that can better recognize RES investments as an opportunity.

Attending stakeholders expressed their interest and support for the project, while ELES, as the organizer, gained valuable feedback which will fuel their collaboration and steps ahead.