The special exhibition “Renewables 24/7” addresses one of the most challenging questions of the energy transition: What happens when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing? Through 25 real-world examples and a transformation study commissioned from Fraunhofer ISE, the organizers—together with industry associations and partners—aim to demonstrate how a renewable energy system can nonetheless operate around the clock. The special exhibition opens next Tuesday at The smarter E Europe in Munich.
Many long-standing players in the German renewable energy sector see echoes of past policy disputes in the current debate on energy policy, which includes calls to abolish feed-in tariffs and introduce a so-called redispatch reserve. Back in 2013, then Federal Environment Minister Peter Altmaier triggered heated discussions with his proposed “electricity price brake,” after which framework conditions for renewable energy expansion deteriorated significantly.
“Things are different this time,” says Markus Elsässer, Managing Director of Solar Promotion, co-organizer of The smarter E Europe. Through the special exhibition “Renewables 24/7,” the organizers aim to demonstrate that a secure, reliable, and fully renewable energy supply around the clock is both technically feasible and economically viable.
