The first Smart Energy Dialog, held on 9 June 2010 in Berlin, established a forum for discussion on the co-transformation of the energy and transport sectors. Sixty European and American experts from the areas of industry, research and policy-making came together at the Hertie School of Governance to discuss a roadmap towards energy security, energy efficiency and the decarbonisation of our economies.

Making the energy sector smarter

As the first event in a larger series, the Smart Energy Dialog jumpstarted two public dialogs on Smart Energy: one between industry and decision-makers and the other between Europe and North America. Speakers from the US, the Netherlands, Denmark and Germany brought new perspectives and provided and overview on what Smart Energy implies: the virtual power plant, ICT and the grid, demand management, financing, standardization and regulation. The event also shed light on how the integration of electric mobility and railways can link mobility to Smart Energy.

• Vice Admiral Dennis V. McGinn, U. S. Navy (retired), CEO, Remote Reality
• Piers Nabuurs, CEO, KEMA
• Valerie Speth, Dipl.Ing. and M.Eng.Management, Corporate development, juwi Holding AG
• Klaus Baggesen Hilger, M.Sc.Eng., Ph.D., Senior Innovation Manager, DONG Energy
• Astrid Nieße, Dipl.-Inform. (FH), Dipl.-Biol., Group Manager Energy Management, OFFIS
• Alexis Ringwald, Co-founder and Director of Business Development, Valence Energy
• Georg Riegel, CEO, deZem
• Barbara Dörsam, Senior Project Manager, E-Energy pilot region Mannheim
• Frank Behrendt, FAV Transport Technology Systems Network
• Wouter de Ridder, The New Motion
• Thomas Paesler, Responsible Subject Specialist Energy, Climate Protection, Energetic Vehicle Technology, DB Environment Centre
• Tjark Siefkes, Senior Director Product Management, Bombardier Transportation GmbH
• John Farell, Institute for Local Self Reliance
• José González, Dipl. -Wirtsch. -Inform., R&D Division Energy Group "Interoperability and Standards", OFFIS
• Antonella Battaglini, SuperSmart Grid
• Björn Klusmann, Bundesverband Erneubare Energie e.V
• John Petersen, Fefer Petersen & Cie

The Smart Energy Dialog also welcomed a group of high-level representatives from the Southern Governors' Association in the context of the visitors program Green Jobs – Green Growth: The New Energy Economy brought by the Transatlantic Climate Bridge.

Topics in the debate included:

• Towards 100% renewable? Or rather 80%?
• Matching electricity consumption and production – balancing and storage.
• The flow of data in the electricity grid.
• Investment needs in infrastructure and generation capacity.
• Smart Energy and affordability.
• Smart Energy = Cool Energy.

The discussion showed that Smart Energy requires a paradigm shift entailing an increasing share of renewable energies, which in turn will bring new challenges such as grid stability and availability.

The Smart Energy infrastructure is very complex and favours decentralized structures. Three themes we repeatedly raised throughout the day within all of the key messages: Smart Energy should be affordable, Smart Energy should be transparent and, last but not least, Smart Energy should be cool. These elements will ensure consumer acceptance and will allow the Smart Energy industries to thrive. With an increasing share of renewables in the energy mix and the efficiency provided by Smart Energy, these technologies will contribute to reaching global and local sustainability goals.

This event was developed by the Ecologic Institute and hosted by the Hertie School of Governance, receiving support from the Public Affairs programme of the American Embassy and the Transatlantic Climate Bridge.