The current geopolitical situation once again highlights the risks of depending on fossil fuels and the increasing need to transform our energy supply. Solar and wind power have long been established as cost-efficient energy sources, and the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted a global 2.6-fold capacity growth between 2022 and 2030. Against this backdrop, The smarter E Europe alliance of exhibitions will spotlight the feasibility of a renewable energy system from June 23–25 in Munich. The Renewables 24/7 special exhibit uses best practices, presentations and live demos to show how a round-the-clock renewable energy supply can be achieved. To kick off the exhibition on June 23, The smarter E Europe will present an exclusive accompanying study, conducted in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, that dispels common myths about system stability and provides scientific proof that such an energy system is viable. The study, Pathways to a Renewable Energy Supply – uses Germany, where 60 percent of electricity is already generated by renewable sources – as an example to demonstrate the supply security of a renewable energy system in leading industrial nations. More than 2,800 exhibitors and over 100,000 visitors from all over the world are expected to attend Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry.
Interested visitors can immerse themselves in the special exhibit’s four thematic areas: industry, commerce, residential applications and mobility. In each area you can experience how power generation, storage, flexibilization and digitalization work together. There is a special focus on security. The special exhibit debunks common myths about the supposed unreliability of renewable energy and concerns about “dark doldrums” and supply fluctuations. While wind and solar are volatile and do not provide a constant power supply, solutions and technologies are already available today that allow companies, utilities, and consumers to manage fluctuations and surplus generation. “Electricity from solar and wind is already unbeatably cheap. The energy transition is unstoppable and delaying it will only damage the economy. Companies can reduce their energy costs long term and ensure competitiveness through renewable energy. Secure supply is guaranteed through flexibilization, the combination of intelligent storage, digital grid solutions and sector coupling,” says Markus Elsässer, Founder and CEO of Solar Promotion GmbH.
The special exhibit will show how such technology has already been successfully implemented, with best-practice examples from across Europe. In the future, the electricity, heating and mobility sectors will merge and support each other. Sector coupling reduces the need for investments, for example in grid expansion. Thanks to digitalization and flexibilization, they do not need to be expanded as much as previously thought.
The renewable energy system is more complex, more connected and more integrated. It relies primarily on wind and solar power, with hydropower, biomass and hydrogen technologies serving as complementary sources. In the future, more people will generate, use and store their own electricity, increasing competition and lowering costs. The key to transforming the energy supply is the electrification of all areas – from transportation and heat generation to industry. Electrification will act as a driver for innovation and economic growth. This, in turn, will increase added value, much more than through imported crude oil and gas. On average, Germany spends 81 billion euros on importing fossil fuels each year. Continuing to do so will only reduce future prosperity. “With the special exhibit, we will highlight the right topics at the right time, showing that the energy transition is not only possible, but also makes sense from an economic, political and social point of view. It is down to us to seize this opportunity,” says Jens Mohrmann, CEO of Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe GmbH & Co. KG (FWTM). The special exhibit will be accompanied by live demos, discussions and expert presentations that will highlight the opportunities and challenges of the renewable energy system.
Strong alliance of associations and industry behind the special exhibit
The project is supported by the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE), the German Association of Energy Market Innovators (BNE), the German Solar Association (BSW‑Solar), the German Solar Energy Society (DGS), the German Hydrogen Association (DWV), and the German Biogas Association as well as VDMA Photovoltaics Equipment and VDMA e.V. Power Systems. Internationally the special exhibit is complemented by Energy Storage Europe, E‑Mobility Europe, Smart Energy Europe (smartEn), and SolarPower Europe.
Leading technology solution partners contributing to the special exhibit include CATL, Energy3000, Fenecon, FoxESS, GE Vernova, Maxsolar, Octopus Energy, RCT Power and Siemens AG. Together they will showcase the technical and economic solutions that enable an energy mix consisting entirely of renewables possible around the clock.
