How smartEn is supporting Energy Transition Technologies.
smartEn – Smart Energy Europe (https://smarten.eu/) serves as the premier European Business Association driving the integration of consumer-driven solutions within the clean energy transition. The organization provides valuable support to its more than 90 member companies offering a diverse array of smart technologies and data-driven energy services.
smartEn offers market intelligence through publishing reports on European markets, is involved EU funded projects, advocate with EU decision-makers, provides networking opportunities through events and conferences, as well as speaking engagements at industry webinars and other forums. From start-ups to utilities and large corporations active in industry, buildings or e-mobility, companies demonstrating innovative business models stand to benefit from a smartEn membership. This membership provides companies networking avenues, lobbying efforts with regulatory bodies, insights into market dynamics, and the chance to influence the EU legislation.
At the heart of smartEn’s mission lies a focus on demand-side flexibility (DSF), crucial for development of the energy systems. Given the current landscape of power storage research and the increasing prevalence of solar and wind energy generation, coupled with the high energy pries experienced by consumers, DSF emerges as an indispensable component in this changing energy landscape. Yet, numerous challenges persist in untapping the full potential of demand-side flexibility. Investment in DSF infrastructure is essential, spanning both prosumers and network operators with different speed of adoption to modern hardware and software. While the EU legislative landscape is favorable for DSF, the pace of regulatory adaptation varies between European countries, with many of them preventing DSF to participate in markets. Some regions permit prosumers to participate in ancillary service markets, while others limit their involvement to utility-defined pricing structures. The ultimate aim of wholesale market access for prosumers remains largely unrealized, de facto discriminating the participation of DSF compared to other resources, despite the clear industry’s technical maturity. Herein lies the critical role of smartEn in pushing to remove these barriers.
smartEn actively engages within political circles and business communities to ensure that EU priorities effectively address the challenges confronting demand-side flexibility. For instance, in 2024, the organization plans a series of activities aiming to position consumer empowerment front and center in the EU electoral debates, delineate priorities for 2024-2029 that address DSF challenges, enhance visibility and EU funding opportunities for the smartEn business community, and steer the implementation of EU laws and regulations to dismantle existing national barriers to flexibility trading. smartEn has published numerous market studies and reports on DSF, elucidating both benefits and barriers. Additionally, the organization will host various online and in-person events on various topics, which aim at fostering networking and providing speaking opportunities for its members.
In parallel, Comtech Advisory has embarked on a new business line this year dedicated to supporting ETT (Energy Transfer Technologies) with the shared objective of advancing support for companies dealing with clean technology. ComTech endeavors to bolster market visibility of such companies, provide analyst services, assist in formulating and publishing thought leadership papers, host podcasts and webinars. These goals align precisely with those of smartEn. The first webinar, “Virtual Power Plants: Separating Fact from Fiction,” organized by ComTech and Narrativio with the participation of smartEn, is scheduled for April 17th. Despite the robust growth experienced by Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) annually, they are still a bit of a mystery in the energy industry. The expert panel includes Marion Malafosse, Head of Policy at smartEn, as well as representatives of energy and vendor companies working in the VPP area and will explore the pressing questions surrounding the practicality, profitability, and future of VPPs within clean energy systems. ComTech Advisory is looking forward to collaborating with smartEn through additional webinars, podcasts, and events and will keep our audience informed about further steps.
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