The Trend Papers provide you with an overview as well as background information and current developments on selected topics.
All around the world, renewables are in the fast lane. But the power grid is starting to become a limiting factor.
Battery storage systems are booming and will soon completely change our energy supply.
Electricity and heat are becoming increasingly intertwined, and the use of self-generated solar power for heating is growing in popularity.
Energy sharing is a trending topic worldwide as it offers great opportunities for the decentralized energy transition. It opens up new ways for private individuals to benefit from the expansion of renewable energies without too much complication.
According to the EU Market Outlook for Solar Power 2023-2027 published by the European solar association SolarPower Europe, Member States of the European Union (EU) have experienced another record year for PV deployment in 2023. For the third year in a row, the market grew by 40 percent or more
Inverters are increasingly becoming the centerpiece of all-in-one solutions for the efficient management of energy flows.
Portable battery storage systems are meeting increasing interest worldwide. This trend paper shows what drives this development.
By global standards, Germany is among the countries with the most reliable power supply. Decentralization is becoming a major strength in this regard. Heterogeneous energy sources and storage technologies are capable of offsetting frequency fluctuations on a small scale.
Development of energy sharing in Europe, opportunities and challenges of energy sharing, citizen participation in the renewable, decentralized and digital energy world.
Digital technologies revolutionize the manner in which we generate, distribute and use energy.
The main Electrolyzer Technologies and their role in future Green Hydrogen projects.
Efficient dual land use for agriculture and solar power generation via agri-photovoltaics (agri-PV) is developing dynamically and attracting increasing interest. Agri-PV has long ceased to be a niche product.
The rate of expansion within the photovoltaics (PV) sector in Germany is set to triple over the next few years to reach 22 gigawatts (GW) per year, which will contribute to the decarbonization of both the economy and society. This is leading to a shift away from the more “traditional” open spaces and roof surfaces of private homes, with other available areas now also being targeted. Parking lot PV, which includes PV installations on carports as well as roofing over vehicle parking lots, represents an application for photovoltaics that has recently gained political support.
Photovoltaics is currently experiencing the greatest momentum in its history globally and has been growing continuously for years. However, for a successful energy transition, ambitions must keep growing.
To operate our power grid safely and stably, we have to create a balance between the growing proportion of weather-dependent power generation and fluctuating consumption. For a swift response to fluctuations in demand and production, flexibility is becoming increasingly important because it prevents expensive interventions in case of bottlenecks and ensures a safe supply with volatile photovoltaics and wind energy. Read more about three application trends.
Many municipal utilities have become hotbeds of the new energy world and drivers of climate protection. They are developing new business models and are actively promoting the transition of the electricity, heating and transportation sectors.
Storage systems are becoming increasingly important as we generate more and more power from the volatile wind and sun. Short-term storage systems located directly at the point where a wind or solar park is connected to the grid offer a solution for tackling fluctuations in power production and will play a key role in the energy transition.
Commercial enterprises, particularly those with a high energy consumption (manufacturing), are facing more and more pressure to adapt to a changing energy system and in turn must and also want to find ways to optimize their energy consumption.
The German government’s climate targets are ambitious. They require real action on the part of businesses if they are to be met. Awareness of the issue of climate change is constantly increasing.
A fluctuating power consumption is confronted by a volatile power supply. Flexibility is needed in order to stabilize the power grid and balance out fluctuations between supply and demand. Above all, more flexible consumption is key for the success of the transformation of the energy system.