Renewable Energy Experts to Convene in Lausanne

By Energy Storage News·February 20, 2016

Three-Day Renewable Distributed Generation Forum, April 13-15, will focus on latest strategies and case studies for maximizing the integration of renewable energy into the power mix.

February 10, 2016 – LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND. Utilities around the world are looking at integrating more distributed solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable sources into the energy mix, leveraging smart grid and microgrid systems to deliver advanced services and improved network performance. Indeed, traditional utility operations, revenue models and networks are undergoing significant evolution within this environment.

The Renewable Distributed Generation Forum, April 13-15, 2016 in Lausanne, Switzerland, will bring together top experts from around the world to examine the very latest technology advances, case studies, and business models for increasing the penetration of renewable energy while optimizing the benefits for stakeholders across the energy ecosystem. The emphasis is on real-world deployments, key lessons learned to date, and success strategies moving forward.

An in-depth Workshop on Day 3 will provide real-world perspectives from banking, venture capital, and developer presenters on financing and economic issues for microgrid systems in rural, off-grid and developing world scenarios. The Workshop will be led by industry experts from Susi Partners, Gommyr Power Networks, and EnerCo.

“This will be a tremendous opportunity for industry leaders to come together and discuss the challenges facing the renewables industry, and how best to address them,” says Daniel Coran, Forum Program Manager. “We will be looking at optimizing hybrid renewable energy systems in both grid-tied and off-grid environments.”

The Forum is organized by the Smart Grid Observer and Leclanché, the Swiss battery specialist and developer of industrial scale lithium-ion storage solutions. École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where the Forum will be conducted, is providing participants with a special opportunity to visit the institution’s latest utility-scale microgrid project, commissioned in 2015.

Expert Speakers to Include

- Prof. Dr. Mario Paolone, Head, Swiss Competence Center for Energy Research ,Future Swiss Electrical Infrastructure (SCCER FURIES)
- Roberto Rodríguez Labastida, Senior Research Analyst, Navigant Research
- Qendresa Rugova, Senior Consultant, Burg Capital GmbH
- Fabrizio Marzolini, Executive VP Engineering, Leclanché
- Davy Théophile, Conversion Solution Director, Grid Solutions, GE
- Dr. Benno Züger, Project Manager, CSEM Energy Storage Research Center
- Daniel Brand, PhD, Head Technology Center, BKW Energie AG
- Lucien J.W. Wiegers, Director, Head of Asset & Portfolio Mgt, Eneco
- Jessica Stromback, General Manager and Senior VP - Europe, Joule Assets
- Wolfram Krause, Senior Product Manager, Younicos AG
- Brian Lu, Head of Microgrid & Hybrid Solutions, Energy Group, Canadian Solar
- Gian Schelling, Business Development Manager, Northern Power Systems
- Erika Velazquez, Product Manager, Microgrid Program, ABB
- Jeremy Wiles, Software and Project Engineer, Siemens

Topics to be addressed during the event include:

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Leveraging grid-scale and distributed energy storage
Market trends, growth projections, and change drivers
Grid-connected and off-grid microgrid systems
Managing the impact of renewables on transmission and distribution system
Interfaces and integration into existing systems
Power control strategies and monitoring
Next-gen smart grid technologies and network architectures
Advanced technologies for enabling greater PV and wind integration
New-generation distributed energy resources inverters

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The Forum will also feature an on-site tour of EPFL's Smart Grid Project, which showcases the institution's vision for living on 100% renewable energy. Showcased in the project is a microgrid with 2MW solar PV integration that utilizes advanced monitoring infrastructure, grid operational control, utility-scale energy storage from Leclanché, intelligent building technology, and cutting edge cybersecurity applications.

“Some of the world’s leading academic experts and industry thought leaders will be in Lausanne for this Forum,” says Coran. “It will be a great opportunity to network with peers and get up to speed on the latest findings and strategies.”

For full information and to register, visit www.distributed-generation-forum.com. Early Bird discount registration is currently available.

Distributed Energy Resources GE