This marks the beginning of a new era for around 1,200 exhibitors and an expected 50,000 visitors in eight halls totaling 86,000 sqm. The smarter E Europe is a reaction to the increasing interconnection of the generation, storage, intelligent distribution and use of renewable energies.
The focus of this new event is on the key issues of sector coupling, digitalization and decentralization. Manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, service providers and partners of the energy industry will be at Messe München until June 22, 2018.
The renewable energy market is booming worldwide. According to the REN21 Renewables 2018 Global Status Report, 178 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable energy capacity were created in 2017, including 98 GW for photovoltaics (PV) alone.
Investments in renewable energies were twice as high as in fossil fuels and nuclear power. The power generated can be used not just to supply industrial, commercial and residential buildings, but also to charge electric vehicles.
The figures show that more power from renewable sources is needed for the electrification of the transportation sector. By 2030, up to 50 million cars will be on the road worldwide, according to an estimate by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). This is just one of many cross-sector developments that are reflected in the success of The smarter E Europe.
SPECIAL FOCUSES: SECTOR COUPLING, DIGITALIZATION AND DECENTRALIZATION
Sector coupling - the interconnection of the electricity, heating and mobility sectors - is at the heart of The smarter E Europe. Examples of this interconnection can be found at every exhibition and in every hall. It is accelerating the development of new business ideas, products and solutions.
Energy producers are installing charging stations and creating the infrastructure needed to charge electric vehicles. Roof-mounted photovoltaic systems are not just generating electricity but are also powering owners' electric vehicles and assisting heat pumps in heating buildings.
It is synergies like this that led to the creation of The smarter E Europe. Sector coupling will be the center of attention at every forum, from The smarter E Forum and Intersolar Forum to the ees and Power2Drive Forum to the Compact Energy Forums at EM-Power.
Digitalization and decentralization are two further trends that will be in the spotlight in every exhibition hall. Digitalization promotes and facilitates decentralization, because it enables small decentralized units - such as private homes with solar roofs or domestic storage systems - to work together and act on the market in the same way as major consumers and suppliers.
Virtual power plants, which can ensure a reliable supply of electric power, are another example of how digitalization can help replace large-scale power stations with renewable energies.
THREE AWARDS
The first day of the exhibitions will end on a high with three award ceremonies - for The smarter E AWARD, Intersolar AWARD and ees AWARD. The presentation will take place at 5:00pm at The smarter E Forum in hall B2, booth B2.570.
The panel of top-class judges will select innovative, highly promising and sustainable products, solutions and projects to be presented and honored at Wednesday's ceremonies. The many candidates for the awards and, of course, the winners are pioneers within the industry.
They are helping to significantly improve people's lives, generate new business ideas and give a decisive boost to existing endeavors. The international media response is no less than they deserve.
COMPREHENSIVE CONFERENCE PROGRAM
Two become four - in addition to the Intersolar and ees Conference, this year will see the inaugural The smarter E Conference and Power2Drive Conference. In total, the conferences are expected to welcome around 1,700 attendees and over 350 speakers.
They have been running since June 19 at the Internationales Congress Center München (ICM) and will continue for two days in all. They provide a venue for national and international experts to delve into the exhibition topics, discussing the latest trends and the developments of international markets.
Top of the agenda are sector coupling and the business models springing up in its wake; the possibilities opened up by the leaps in solar module efficiency and dramatic reduction in production costs; the efficient integration of storage systems; and technologies for sustainable energy management in public and industrial buildings and private homes.
TWO NEW EXHIBITIONS: POWER2DRIVE EUROPE AND EM-POWER
Alongside the established exhibitions Intersolar and ees Europe, this year will see Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power open their doors for the first time.
While Intersolar Europe focuses on the generation and distribution of solar energy, and ees Europe on the storage of this energy, Power2Drive Europe is all about charging infrastructure and electric mobility and EM-Power focuses on intelligent energy use in industry and buildings.
Together, the four exhibitions cover the generation, storage and intelligent distribution and use of renewable energies. They are linked together by the innovation hub The smarter E Europe.
© Solar Promotion GmbH
