intersolar 2017

•••3••• Messewelten Intersolar Europe will set the spotlight on smart combination of energy sources. Photo: Solar Promotion GmbH A new electricity landscape Smart Renewable Energy Forum to focus on digital networking T he digital transformation in the en- ergy industry has fundamentally changed the electricity landscape. In the future, the energy supply will be en- sured by a range of renewable energy plants, storage systems and consumers acting as prosumers. The Smart Renew- able Energy Forum at Intersolar Europe is therefore focusing on new concepts and technologies for digital networking along the energy value-added chain. From sector coupling to cyber se- curity for the energy industry: At the Smart Renewable Energy Fo- rum, Intersolar Europe is shining a spotlight on diverse aspects of a digitalized energy industry on all three exhibition days. Indus- try experts from science, indus- try and associations will come together at the forum to discuss the wide-ranging topic of digitalization. The session titled Holistic Energy Transi- tion: Sector Coupling will focus on intel- ligently connecting electricity, heat and transportation. Cyber security Digitalization goes hand in hand with cy- ber security and new players in the en- ergy industry, which will be discussed in further presentations. Topics related to local power supply, on-site consumption in private households and commercial buildings, and power-to-gas bring the Smart Renewable Energy Forum to a close. The future of renewable energies in the power supply depends strongly on digitalization along the whole value- added chain – as this is the only way to ensure that power from decentralized and disparate volatile energy sources is optimally integrated into the grid. Nu- merous new digital services, products and solutions are currently under de- velopment. These will control the de- centralized energy market flexibly and safely, and in doing so, optimally coor- dinate generation and consumption. In addition to this, smart communication between energy producers, smart grids, storage systems and consumers is also necessary. “The large number of players in the communication chain naturally involves risks to grid security and data protec- tion. Cyber security always has to be taken into account in this context. For this reason, we are continuously work- ing on solutions for improving system security,” says Prof. Dr. Michael Waid- ner, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT). Digitalization is giving rise to new busi- ness models and stakeholders. Renew- able energies are a major economic fac- tor – and even more so when combined with intelligent forms of marketing. “Digitalization is fundamentally chang- ing the market conditions of the energy industry on a technological and regula- tory level. It will be interesting to see how quickly the established util- ity companies, which are being put under pressure by innovative offers from start-ups, will adapt,” says Jan-Hendrik vom Wege, host of the New Players in the Energy Industry: Digitalization & Energy Management session. The modern drivers of the new energy world are in the spotlight at the Smart Renewable Energy Forum. On the second exhibition day (June 1, from 3:00 p.m.) at the Forum, the most innovative utility companies will be presented with a special accolade, the Utilities Within the Energy Transition Award. The winners have been selected by the Bonn-based market and economic research company EuPD Research on the basis of a study of all the utility companies in Germany con- ducted for the first time at the start of 2017. Through the Smart Renewable Energy Forum, Intersolar Europe and ees Eu- rope, the continent’s largest exhibition for batteries and energy storage sys- tems, are creating a platform for what may be the most significant develop- ment in the energy industry – digitaliza- tion. The forum was already a great suc- cess at its premiere in 2016, and is set to address the rapid transformation of the energy industry again in 2017. Smart networks are key to the new en- ergy world. Photo: Solar Promotion GmbH WSWC2017: Fokus auf Hybridsysteme Die World Small Wind Conference WSWC2017 ist in diesem Jahr den Hybridsystemen aus Klein- wind- und Solaranlagen gewid- met („Small Wind & Solar Hybrid Systems – Key to a Self-sufficient Energy Future“). Gemeinsam soll der aktuelle Status dieser Hybrid- technologie ermittelt und ein Blick auf die künftigen Entwick- lungen in diesem Gebiet gewagt werden. Darüber hinaus werden neue, innovative Geschäftsmo- delle vorgestellt, die den Markt für autonome Energiesysteme be- leben könnten. Auch die neuesten Entwicklungen im Bereich kleiner Windanlagen werden ein Schwer- punktthema sein. Zu der Konfe- renz laden die World Wind Ener- gy Association (WWEA) und die Intersolar Europe Vertreter der Kleinwindbranche sowie Akteure der PV- und der Energiespeicher- branche am 1. und 2. Juni 2017 nach München ein, die WSWC2017 findet parallel zur Intersolar Euro- pe statt. Efficient, safe and at large-scale Grid integration of renewable energies, increased efficiency and durability of lithium-ion batteries, and the step towards megawatt output: The ees AWARD 2017 re- flects the current developments in the industry. Finalists for the prestigious award have been se- lected from a wide range of inter- national submissions. The winners will be announced at ees Europe at the Innovation and Application Forum on May 31, 2017. The exhibi- tion takes place parallel to Inter- solar Europe, the world’s largest exhibition for the solar industry and its partners, from May 31 to June 2 in Munich. Over the last few years, the energy storage in- dustry has boomed. Systems are becoming increasingly affordable – for example, lithium-ion storage systems were 15 per cent cheaper in the second half of 2016 than the start of 2015 – making it increasin- gly attractive to invest in this technology. The development is being driven by numerous innova- tions which make batteries more powerful and more reliable. The ees AWARD has been honoring pi- oneering developments in the in- dustry for four years.