Looking back at the Smart Energy Systems Conference 2025

The SES conference opened with two keynotes that immediately set the tone. Şiir Kılkış, vice-chair of IPCC’s Working Group III and a senior researcher at TÜBİTAK, emphasised how important urban areas are in mitigating climate change. Her story touched me because it aligns exactly with what I myself am working on in the Energy and Circular Systems team. Like her, I see integrated solutions from a systemic perspective: how can we combine the transition to a circular economy with renewable energy supplies? Her message was clear and urgent: only targeted and integrated mitigation actions can keep us within the limits of the Paris Climate Agreement.

The story told by Asbjørn Haugstrup, Chief External Relations Officer at Innargi, also struck a chord with me. He focused on an often neglected aspect of the energy transition: heating demand for buildings. In northern European cities, heating accounts for a large share of carbon emissions. Haugstrup therefore called for a reappraisal of district heating in European energy policy. He stressed the need for solutions such as geothermal and large-scale heat pumps now that traditional waste heat from fossil sources is being used less and less. This is a theme that also ties in with my work. In the ANCHOR project for instance, we are looking at how to recover heat from grey water at the building and district levels. This is a great example of how smart, local solutions can contribute to more efficient energy systems.

A range of topics demonstrated the breadth of smart energy systems during the course of the conference. The integration of different energy carriers – electricity, heat and green fuels – and the role of smart infrastructure such as smart grids and energy storage were discussed in detail. The development of fourth-generation district heating (4GDH), which uses low-temperature heat and waste heat, was also the focus of considerable attention.I was struck by how closely these topics align with our research at KWR as part of the Energy Transition theme.

There were also discussions about the electrification of sectors such as transportation, industry and the built environment, as well as the deployment of Power-to-X technologies and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO). In addition to technological innovations, institutional and organisational issues were also addressed: how do we ensure that there is effective collaboration, policy support and spatial planning to actually make this transition happen?

The closing keynotes provided an international perspective on the energy transition. Philip Christiani, a partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, presented a strategic vision for Europe’s energy supplies spearheaded by large-scale investments in renewable energy and grid expansion. Lily Bermel, a researcher at MIT-CEEPR and a former policy advisor at the U.S. State Department, concluded with an analysis of the situation in the United States. I was struck by Lily’s message that the energy transition in the Stattes is continuing despite political developments. She believes that this is because there is still broad support for the energy transition, particularly from industry and commercial parties who are continuing to invest in clean technologies.

Analysis of the green hydrogen chain in practice

During the conference, I presented the results of the life cycle assessment (LCA) of green hydrogen in the transport sector that is being conducted under the auspices of the LIFE NEW HYTS project. The study is focusing on mapping out the environmental impact of the local green hydrogen supply chain in Nieuwegein, with the Hysolar production station being operational at the KWR’s premises since 2024. In addition to providing a picture of the current environmental impact, it is at least as valuable to use the LCA to identify where further improvements can be made. The LCA shows that transport based on locally produced green hydrogen has a lower environmental impact than fossil fuel transport. The further optimisation of the green hydrogen chain is possible by opting for the most suitable renewable energy source (such as wind or solar), improving the efficiency of the electrolyser, and using waste heat in smart ways to meet local heating demand.

The presentation evoked a range of reactions and led to interesting discussions. One of the topics that received a lot of attention was the impact of the renewable energy source that is selected – wind or solar – on the overall environmental impact of green hydrogen. It became clear that this depends very much on the local context. It emerged that the environmental impact of locally produced green hydrogen has not yet been extensively studied. Precisely because this topic has still not been addressed in detail, the research provides valuable insights for increasing the sustainability of the green hydrogen chain.

Image 1: Presentation about the life cycle analysis of the local green hydrogen chain in Nieuwegein

Networking, travel and experiences along the way

The SES conference in Copenhagen provided me not only with substantive insights but also a pleasant introduction to the city. The relaxed atmosphere, the conference dinner in a converted subway hall and walks past places like Nyhavn, Kastellet and Tivoli made the trip an inspiring experience. And the good train connection meant I was able to travel in a sustainable way.

Image 2: Impression of Copenhagen during a walk around the city