WindEnergy Hamburg to Highlight Future Energy Solutions Utilising Smart Networks and Energy Storage Technology

Today´s energy transition can only come along with an innovation of our power supply infrastructure. Future energy supply systems must be capable to balance demand for power and supply continuously and to guarantee network stability, efficiency and reliability. The rapid development of these technologies will be showcased at WindEnergy Hamburg. The world’s leading expo for wind energy, which will be held from 27 to 30 September 2016 and feature more than 1,200 exhibitors, is a key meeting place for decision makers from the energy sector. A top issue on this year’s agenda will be technologies for storing excess wind energy. Exhibitors relevant for this segment will be marked “Storage Tour” throughout the exhibition halls. Visitors with a specific interest in this field will be able to locate these companies easily in the online exhibitor directory on windenergyhamburg.com, in the fair app and in the Visitor Guide.

Smart energy systems

Today’s electricity demand and supply infrastructure is in most countries based upon centralized systems and largely fossil-based and nuclear power generation. The electricity is brought to private and utility users via a traditional one-way power transport and distribution network. However, this long-term status quo is changing rapidly due to a worldwide ongoing transition towards renewables including wind power. Independent of their exact physical design, such future energy supply systems must still be capable to balance demand for power and supply continuously and with comparable network stability,efficiency and reliability.

A wide range of international WindEnergy Hamburg exhibitors will inform trade visitors about specific smart energy solutions, two-way smart grid design and various options for energy storage. Specific topic areas are ‘power-to-gas’, battery systems, Virtual Power Plant (VPP) concepts, grid stability enhancement, smart (electric) mobility, and offgrid systems. Several smart energy solutions are already commercially avialable, and others are added continuously.

Enercon and 74 partner organizations take part in the ENERA research project. This is aimed at making the energy system in the north-western part of Germany compatible for using intelligent technology capable of accepting an increasingly higher share of renewable energy sources in future. One key technology example is Enercon’s STATCOM module, an alternative solution for costly cable network extension in regions with weak grids. The company will inform expo visitors about its local and international involvements with developing smart grids, advanced grid balancing solutions, energy storage, smart mobility, and the building of intelligent communication structures.

Hamburg exhibitor Siemens participates with six Dutch partners in a joint project aimed at realizing a fully integrated 12MW Power-to-Gas plant in Delfzijl (NL) within the next two years. Wind power and solar energy surplusses converted into hydrogen and syngas serve as sustainable process inputs for the chemical industry. Siemens will further showcase its smart mobility and other smart energy enabling solutions. Utilities Vattenfall and e.on have both engaged in developing VPPs together with individual owners and operators of distributed power generation and energy storage devices like wind, solar, biogas, batteries, combined heat and power, and cold-storage. Both exhibitors will inform visitors on various generating and storage units that could be integrated in their in-house VPP solutions. They can further provide details on advanced VPP features including centralized plant control with 24/7 loads balancing of system supply and demand, and energy market trading services.

Solutions for developing regions

Gamesa this May presented an Offgrid prototype system, comprising a wind turbine, a PV-system, three diesel generators, and two different energy storage modules. The Spanish exhibitor will present the system’s specific features and benefits, and the availability for islands, and other remote regions and emerging economies, all sharing the absence of central electicity networks.

Exhibitor Maxwell Technologies is finally a specialist and pioneer in ultracapacitor technology, capable of frequent charge and discharge cycles at high current and short duration. This fast response functionality makes ultracapacitors well-suited for retaining grid voltage level and frequency control. Dr Franz Fink, Maxwell president and CEO added: "With the rapidly expanding deployment of renewable energy power generation worldwide, adapting different energy storage approaches are critical to improving power quality and grid stability." The combination with battery systems provides highly effective hybrid storage solutions, on which features and benefits Maxwell will explain to expo visitors. WindEnergy Hamburg is supported by the European Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (EHA), which will provide a shuttle service for fair visitors using Hamburg’s hydrogen-powered bus fleet.

WindEnergy Hamburg is the ideal platform for wind and other experts to showcase existing and new storage and other solutions potentially capable of becoming essential building blocks and key enablers for a smart energy future. This applies all the more as the conference WindEurope Summit will be held in parallel with WindEnergy Hamburg for the first time, at CCH - Congress Center Hamburg, which is located right next to the Hamburg Fair site. Smart Energy is part of the conference program in sessions as “Making wind fit for the power systems of the future” or “Making T&D networks fit for wind integration”. More information at windeurope.org/summit2016/

WindEnergy Hamburg and HUSUM Wind

WindEnergy Hamburg will be held at the Hamburg Fair site from 27 to 30 September 2016. This leading international expo for onshore and offshore wind reflects the global market and the whole of the value chain. It is the meeting point for decision makers from all parts of the world. HUSUM Wind will be held at the German North Sea coast from 12 to 15 September 2017 in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, which is a front runner in the wind industry. The focus of HUSUM Wind is the German speaking market. It is the traditional meeting point for intensive exchanges within the industry and for practice-oriented value added. For more information, please visit the websites windenergyhamburg.com and husumwind.com.

Press contact: Gudrun Blickle, Tel: +49 (0)40-3569-2442, gudrun.blickle@hamburg-messe.de