This year marks the tenth anniversary of ees Europe, and in a growing number of countries the framework conditions for the dynamic development of storage markets have become very favorable. As Florian Mayr, Committee Chairman of the ees Europe Conference, says: “The industry is in the midst of an ‘energy conservation decade.’” The direction in which the storage industry can and will develop will be discussed in the accompanying program of Europe’s largest and most international exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems. Florian Mayr explains that “As always, the accompanying program of ees Europe covers the hottest and most interesting topics for the industry.” ees Europe is part of The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, and will take place in Munich from June 19–21, 2024, alongside Intersolar Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe.
There are three fundamental factors driving energy storage markets worldwide: First, as fossil-based power generation is being phased out and renewables are being deployed, the demand for flexibility in the power grid is skyrocketing. Second, energy storage is becoming an increasingly competitive option for boosting flexibility. This is thanks to the decreasing cost of batteries and technological developments of hardware and software, and thanks to the increasing volatility of electricity prices and thus the price of flexibility. And finally third, and perhaps most importantly: More and more regulators and policy makers seem to have recognized the important role of energy storage and are now removing barriers and creating possibilities for monetization. These dynamics are creating a positive market sentiment as well as a great need for discussion and debate among players in the growing energy storage market.
The two-day ees Europe Conference already kicks off on June 18 at the International Congress Center München (ICM). One major topic of the conference will be the regulatory framework conditions at European level: The EU’s electricity market reform and its concrete implementation raises the potential for energy storage. Another important topic is the EU Battery Regulation with its focus on the sustainability of energy storage. There will be top-notch panels for both topics.
The era of long-term storage is once again being heralded by many experts. But is it really happening this time? What would it require? I’m sure there will be a sober and probably somewhat controversial discussion about this. Another key topic will be supply chain security and the right strategies for securing supply. And of course, we also want to talk about sales. How can the use of energy storage be optimized to maximize ROI?
On three exhibition days, two of the seven expert forums of The smarter E Europe will take place in the halls of ees Europe, providing visitors high-quality input and an opportunity for discussion: The ees Forum in hall C2 serves as the industry’s knowledge hub. Attendees will have the opportunity to update their knowledge on the latest trends and technological advances in batteries and energy storage systems. “Highlights include sessions such as Energy Storage Market Trends presented by EUPD Research and the German Solar Association BSW, as well as a panel discussion with industry leaders including E3/DC, sonnen, RCT Power, VARTA and Sigenergy,” says Eva Benz from IBESA. In addition, the Battery Diagnostics and Battery Safety presentations by the Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) research group at RWTH Aachen University and the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA) will provide valuable insights. The ees Forum will also provide practical advice on commercial storage systems and the smart installation of residential storage systems.
The Green Hydrogen Forum, as the name suggests, is a forum dedicated to green hydrogen and will be located in hall B2. Topics include solar projects combined with electrolyzers and hydrogen storage, the establishment of international hydrogen markets along with the necessary infrastructure, fuel cell applications and the core hydrogen network in Germany: “At the Green Hydrogen Forum, the hydrogen industry will have the perfect opportunity for B2B networking with the renewable energy industry,” explains Olivier Bucheli, Managing Director of EFCF and our content partner for the high-quality three-day program. Other partners include the German DWV and Hydrogen Moves.
ees Europe and the parallel events Intersolar Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe will take place from June 19–21, 2024 as part of the innovation hub The smarter E Europe, Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, at Messe München.
