Forecasting the Unknown: Navigating Emerging Technologies and the Field Learning Curve

Our European energy system is undergoing a major transformation, moving towards decentralization with increased penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) connected to the grid, such as PV solar, battery storage, and EVs. While DERs provide clear benefits such as limiting costs, reducing CO2 emissions, and helping to empower consumers, there are still challenges to overcome to develop DERs to their full potential. This session will focus on best practices and innovative projects, both from a grid and user perspective (e.g. energy communities) and we will discuss how the regulatory framework can be improved to facilitate the penetration of DERs and active participation from consumers.

In this session, we aim to discuss the success factors for end-user sector coupling as a meaningful and cost-efficient way of meeting the EU's decarbonization ambitions, playing a viable role in supporting large-scale integration of decarbonized energy into our power systems. The panel will look at what steps we can take to ensure that end-user sectors (mobility, heating and industry) become a conduit for a resilient energy system and a sustainable Europe. This discussion will be formulated as a cross-sector debate to identify the operational challenges and business opportunities that the integration of efficient end-user sectors offer for grid stability and decarbonization.

Cars as batteries on wheels: Thomas Raffeiner and Petrouschka Werther discuss how V2G and smart charging turn EVs into critical grid assets.

HZB researchers explore perovskite tandem solar cells, efficiency gains, and the challenges of bringing the technology to market.