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By Jennifer Machura, Business Development Manager at ACCURE
"Creating a new energy world" – that was the motto of The smarter E Europe 2023. Europe’s largest platform for the energy industry included four trade fairs: Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe, and EM-Power Europe. Global leaders from across photovoltaic, energy storage, and mobility industries came together to share their knowledge and learn from peers.
And, we were excited to take part in the festivities. The team arrived in Munich to share ACCURE’s mission of accelerating the transition to clean energy and mobility by making batteries safe, reliable, and sustainable using cloud computing.
After three inspiring, exciting, and exhausting days, we found ourselves thinking about five key takeaways:
Let’s start with some numbers. The smarter E Europe 2023 was larger and more globally diverse than ever, with 106,000 visitors from 166 countries, and 2,469 exhibitors across 17 exhibition halls in 180,000 square meters. The sheer number of smart and passionate individuals, businesses, and associations pushing the energy and mobility transition was fantastic. I expect that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future.
Germany alone added almost 8 GW in 2022 - making it top of the rankings1! It is amazing to see how many new solar energy providers are emerging in the market. Over half of the exhibiting companies offered products and services related to solar energy.
It is clear that the expansion of solar power goes hand in hand with energy storage. The challenge of storing an ever-increasing amount of energy brings the need for high-performing and reliable battery systems to a new level. Solar and storage will likely dominate the conversation for many years to come.
From electric vehicles to home storage to large-scale systems, the battery industry is growing exponentially. To be one of the top asset owners in the market, it is crucial that these batteries can be operated safely, reliably, and with long service life. Advanced battery analytics is seen as a logical path toward achieving these goals.
One not-so-surprising revelation is that we saw several battery manufacturers introducing monitoring solutions. But does this offer the right level of transparency into health that an asset owner expects? Can asset owners trust manufacturers if there is a conflict of interest? A third-party, independent analytics solution, provides full transparency and gives operators insights about whether battery assets meet performance and reliability expectations.
Due to the rapid increase in electrification of the mobility sector and the expansion of renewable energies, the global demand for lithium-ion batteries is projected to reach 4,000 GWh in 2030. To support this development and meet the demand, new battery concepts and chemistries are being developed that cost less and offer supply chain flexibility.
The advantages and downsides of these new technologies were a predominant discussion topic at the conference. If you are interested in a more detailed analysis, we have a blog post on sodium-ion batteries coming up soon – one of THE most hyped technologies in the battery world. Sign up for the newsletter here:
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The presence of Chinese exhibitors was ubiquitous at The smarter E Europe 2023.
According to Visual Capitalist, China accounts for 77% of the world's total manufacturing capacity with almost 900 gigawatt-hours. Plus six of the top ten battery manufacturers in the world call China home. China's dominance in the battery sector is attributed to its comprehensive integration throughout the electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, encompassing metal mining and EV production. Furthermore, China holds the title for the largest EV market, representing 52% of global sales in 2021.2 The trade fair further solidified that China is the global leader in battery manufacturing.
This year’s Smarter E Europe show didn’t disappoint. The takeaways above paint a clear picture that renewable energy is here to stay. Equally as clear, is that energy storage will play a vital role in its future growth.
And as they say, after the show is before the show! Next year’s The Smarter E Europe show will be held June 19–21, 2024. Make sure to visit the most important European event for the energy industry and stop by our booth! We will definitely be there and have a cool drink waiting for you!
1 European solar market grows by almost 50 percent, PV Europe by Gentner. Date of last revision: 29 December 2022 Date retrieved: 22 June 2023 [https://www.pveurope.eu/markets/eu-market-outlook-solar-power-2022-2026-european-solar-market-grows-almost-50-percent]
2 Govind Bhutada. Visualizing China’s Dominance in Battery Manufacturing (2022-2027P), Visual Capitalist Elements. Date of last revision: 18 January 2023. Date retrieved: 22 June 2023 [https://elements.visualcapitalist.com/chinas-dominance-in-battery-manufacturing/]
As Business Development Manager at ACCURE, Jenni helps customers to find the right solution to their battery challenges. She specializes in battery technologies for electromobility and holds a Master of Science in Business Administration and Engineering from RWTH Aachen University. During her studies she was a board member of a solar electric vehicle and also the pilot in the toughest solar race in the world in 2019.
ACCURE helps companies reduce risk, improve performance, and maximize the business value of battery energy storage. Our predictive analytics solution simplifies the complexity of battery data to make batteries safer, more reliable, and more sustainable. By combining cutting-edge artificial intelligence with deep expert knowledge of batteries, we bring a new level of clarity to energy storage. Today, we support customers worldwide, helping optimize the performance and safety of their battery systems. Visit us at accure.net.