Smart Renewable Energy Forum: Digitalization Driving the New Energy World

The digital transformation in the energy industry has fundamentally changed the electricity landscape. In the future, the energy supply will be ensured by a range of renewable energy plants, storage systems and consumers acting as prosumers. The Smart Renewable Energy Forum at Intersolar Europe, the world’s leading exhibition for the solar industry and its partners, is therefore focusing on new concepts and technologies for digital networking along the energy value-added chain from May 31–June 2.

From sector coupling to cyber security for the energy industry: At the Smart Renewable Energy Forum, Intersolar Europe is shining a spotlight on diverse aspects of a digitalized energy industry on all three exhibition days. Industry experts from science, industry and associations will come together at the forum to discuss the wide-ranging topic of digitalization. The session titled Holistic Energy Transition: Sector Coupling will focus on intelligently connecting electricity, heat and transportation. Digitalization goes hand in hand with cyber security and new players in the energy 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.

DIGITALIZATION IS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NEW ENERGY WORLD

Through the Smart Renewable Energy Forum, Intersolar Europe and ees Europe, the continent’s largest exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems, are creating a platform for what may be the most significant development in the energy industry – digitalization. The forum was already a great success at its premiere in 2016, and is set to address the rapid transformation of the energy industry again in 2017.

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. Numerous new digital services, products and solutions are currently under development. These will control the decentralized energy market flexibly and safely, and in doing so, optimally coordinate 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 protection. Cyber security always has to be taken into account in this context. For this reason, we are continuously working on solutions for improving system security,” says Prof. Dr. Michael Waidner, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT.

UTILITIES WITHIN THE ENERGY TRANSITION AWARD: THE DIGITAL FUTURE IS CHANGING BUSINESS

Digitalization is giving rise to new business models and stakeholders. Renewable energies are a major economic factor – and even more so when combined with intelligent forms of marketing.

“Digitalization is fundamentally changing the market conditions of the energy industry on a technological and regulatory level. It will be interesting to see how quickly the established utility companies, which are being put under pressure by innovative offers from start-ups, will adapt,” says Jan-Hendrik vom Wege, lawyer at the law firm Becker Büttner Held and 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 3:00pm) 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 conducted for the first time at the start of 2017.

The forum is sponsored by Siemens AG, Fronius International GmbH and Viessmann Photovoltaik GmbH.

Intersolar Europe 2017 will take place from May 31–June 2 at Messe München.

Further information on Intersolar Europe can be found at www.intersolar.de/en

Partners of Intersolar Europe
Intersolar Europe is supported by the leading solar industry associations: the German Solar Association (BSWSolar) as an exclusive partner, the German Solar Energy Society (DGS), the European Solar Thermal Industry Federation (ESTIF), the International Solar Energy Society (ISES), and the platform for photovoltaic production equipment within the German Engineering Association (VDMA-PV). With the support of SolarPower Europe.

About Intersolar
With events spanning four continents, Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition series for the solar industry and its partners. It unites people and companies from around the world with the aim of increasing the share of solar power in our energy supply.

Intersolar Europe takes place annually at the Messe München exhibition center in Munich, Germany and focuses on the areas of photovoltaics, energy storage and renewable heating, as well as on products and solutions for smart renewable energy. The accompanying Intersolar Europe Conference consolidates selected exhibition topics and showcases international markets, financing and pioneering technologies. Since being founded, Intersolar Europe has become the most important industry platform for manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners in the global solar industry.

With more than 25 years of experience, Intersolar has the unique ability to bring together members of the solar industry from across the world’s most influential markets. Intersolar exhibitions and conferences are held in Munich, San Francisco, Mumbai, São Paulo and Dubai. These global events are complemented by the Intersolar Summits, which take place in emerging and growing solar markets worldwide.

In 2017, ees Europe, Europe’s Largest Exhibition for Batteries and Energy Storage Systems, will take place in parallel to Intersolar Europe for the fourth time. Together with the accompanying ees Europe Conference, the exhibition covers the entire value chain of innovative battery and energy storage technologies.

For more information on Intersolar Europe, please visit: www.intersolar.de/en

Intersolar Europe is organized by Solar Promotion GmbH, Pforzheim and Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM).