The smarter E Europe 2025, taking place earlier in the year than usual, from May 7–9, 2025 at Messe München, has the motto “Accelerating Integrated Energy Solutions”. And smart integration really is the key topic for the fast-changing world of energy and mobility. To meet the requirements of today – and tomorrow, photovoltaic (PV) installations have to interact with battery storage systems, heat pumps and EV-chargers – and all of them together have to interact with the power grid. This is why energy management systems (EMS) for prosumers and businesses are no longer just “nice to have”, but actually a “must have”. Products, applications and solutions for EMS will be among the focus topics at this year’s exhibitions, forums and conferences under The smarter E Europe umbrella. The organizers of Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry expect more than 3,000 exhibitors and over 110,000 industry professionals to flock to the fully booked grounds at Messe München.
GridX, a smart energy company, published an estimate on the development of the European market for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) in 2024, according to which the surveyed countries, Denmark, Germany, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden and Spain will “grow by a factor of around 11 by 2030”. Of course we will only know in 2030, whether this prediction is correct. But one thing is already certain: Demand is rising swiftly, and the market is growing dynamically.
The latest regulatory requirements and market developments are driving growth. Section 14a of the German Energy Industry Act (EnWG), for example, provides for “dimming” the output of heat pumps, EV-chargers or battery storage systems. A powerful EMS can limit the need for purchasing power from the grid by re-routing electricity from the PV installation or the storage device in such a way that the grid operator’s control signal does not reduce comfort in the customer’s home. Electricity customers will only truly benefit from dynamic electricity tariffs if they combine their PV system with a powerful EMS.
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about the interoperability of individual components. So far, there are no universal standards and technical rules for communication protocols. The benefits of manufacturer-independent products and components are clear: Customers can freely choose from what the market has to offer. The leading minds of the international energy industry will meet at The smarter E Europe, its four sub-exhibitions, Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe, and the accompanying conferences and programs, where they will talk, debate, do business and network. The question of how to ensure maximum interoperability will certainly be an intensively discussed topic at the events. In 2018, the OpenEMS Association took a leading role in supporting efforts to create open and manufacturer-independent standards for energy management systems. OpenEMS is not a communication protocol, such as EEBus, but a software platform. The Association counts universities and research institutes, grid operators and industry associations as well as energy management companies among its members.
Home energy management is also going to be discussed at the focus event hosted by pv magazine on the second exhibition day, May 8, 2025. Two interactive sessions will shed light on key aspects of quality photovoltaics and storage projects in the small and utility-scale sectors. pv magazine invites interested visitors to ICM – International Congress Center Messe München, room 13, from 1:00pm–5:00pm. The session will discuss how to optimize self-consumption, create smart interfaces and ensure profitable market integration. It will be held in German. A separate, English-speaking session aimed at an international expert audience will focus on optimizing large-scale storage systems and the quality assurance of planning, design and marketing. Click here to register for the event.
The smarter E Forum will be organizing a dedicated session for prosumer home energy management systems. On Friday, May 9, the key role of HEMS for modern energy management and grid stability will be discussed starting from 1:30pm.
In May, at Messe München, innovation will meet practice, and visions will meet concrete solutions. The smarter E Europe shows how the sectors electricity, heat and transportation can be intelligently connected to create a decentralized, digitalized and flexible energy world. From large international corporations and SMEs to tradespeople and start-ups: The smarter E Europe brings together relevant players from around the world at four exhibitions, showcasing the latest market developments, trends and products. From May 7–9, 2025, Messe München is fully booked – the organizers expect more than 3,000 exhibitors and over 110,000 visitors at the exhibition ground covering 206,000 square meters across 19 exhibition halls and the Outdoor Area.
As Europe’s largest alliance of exhibitions for the energy industry, The smarter E Europe unites four exhibitions (Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe) and will take place at Messe München from May 7–9, 2025.