The key role of smart girds in making Europe the world’s number one region in terms of renewable energy production was the central message at the Repowering Europe conference, organised jointly by the European Technology Platform on SmartGrids (ETP SG) and the European Technology and Innovation Platform Photovoltaics (ETIP PV), with support from the European Commission, in Brussels on May 18-19.
The event, which brought together over 200 actors involved in smart grids and solar photovoltaics, highlighted that the expansion of renewables would be made further possible by the development of smart grids and that, in turn, the digital transformation of smart grids would allow for the development of self-consumption, e-mobility and the transformation of the energy system.
During the conference the debate touched on the barriers that remain to be overcome, particularly the reform in market design needed to allow smart grids to develop and integrate more variable renewables. ETP SG noted in a statement that for the European Union to transform itself into a low-carbon energy economy and maintain its leadership in renewables, a shift in the way that electricity networks are planned and operated would be required.
Some challenges in the area of smart grids highlighted during the conference include the increasing level of distributed renewable energy sources and the increasing electrification of some sectors, resulting in the appearance of new loads such as electric vehicles. It was noted that smart grids should become seamlessly digital, in order to enable local balancing, self-generation, the widespread electrification of mobility and flexibility for all users.