With  the  ability  to  store  electricity  when  the  sun  is  not shining  and  the  wind  is  not  blowing,  energy  storage  systems  are  one  of  the  key technologies  involved  in  the  energy  transition  and  are  essential  for  the  integration  of renewable  energies.  According  to  the  latest  findings  from  IHS  Markit,  the  annual installation of new storage systems worldwide is expected to reach 9 gigawatts (GW) by 2025. The growing interest in this area not only reflects the energy storage industry’s vast market  potential,  but  also  its  relevance  to  our  future  energy  supply.  80  percent  of exhibition space available at ees Europe – Europe’s largest and most-visited exhibition for batteries  and  energy  storage  systems  –  has  already  been  booked  some  seven  months before the 2018 event opens its doors. 2018 marks the first time the industry meeting will take place under the umbrella of The smarter E and in parallel with other leading energy exhibitions.

From storage devices for homeowners and technical solutions for distributed storage systems to large-scale  storage  solutions  for  commercial  and  industrial  applications,  the  market  potential  of energy storage is enormous.
More than 55,000 domestic storage systems had been installed in Germany by the end of 2016. This figure is expected to rise to around 90,000 by the close of 2017, meaning that Germany holds the dominant  position  in  the  European  market.  According  to  EuPD  Research,  the  storage  market  is anticipated to continue enjoying growth in both Germany and Europe in the future as well. Falling
solar power feed-in tariffs, the steep electricity prices paid by consumers and the high overall capacity of  renewable  energy  plants  in  operation  in  Germany  make  the  country  an  attractive  market  for energy storage systems.

Huge market potential of commercial storage devices
Domestic solar storage solutions are not the only storage technology in demand, as the popularity
of battery systems for commercial use and for balancing power installed by energy suppliers is also growing in Germany. According to the latest study by Macrom, manufacturers of commercial
storage solutions are reporting growths in turnover of more than 400 percent in comparison to the previous year. “The main driving force behind this positive trend was storage systems that utility companies put into operation last year to stabilize the grid, in particular by providing primary
balancing power,” explains Dr. Georg Seidel, Senior Consultant at Macrom Marketing & Consult.

There is a sense of optimism among stakeholders in the commercial storage sector. “The
commercial storage market is growing yet still holds sufficient untapped potential,” says Daniel Hannemann, Managing Director at TESVOLT GmbH. “At ees Europe, we find the very contacts we need to support the development of sustainable solutions for industry and commerce. This is
important because although industry and commerce are the largest consumers of energy, there is often a lack of innovative and efficient storage solutions in this particular area.” Besides storage
devices, visitors can find further intelligent solutions for energy use in industry and commerce at the EM-Power exhibition taking place alongside ees Europe.

Startups and young companies are the market leaders of tomorrow
From  specialists  in  energy  storage  and  e-mobility  to  experts  in  intelligent  energy  management, startups and young companies will present their innovations at ees Europe and Power2Drive Europe, the new exhibition for charging infrastructure and e-mobility held at the same time, at the shared booth sponsored by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) in hall C1, booth C1.140. Companies will also exhibit together at additional shared booths focusing on a range of topics, such as battery production technologies, hydrogen, fuel cells and power-to-gas. What’s more, the international nature of ees Europe will be highlighted by country-specific shared booths featuring exhibitors from Italy, China and Taiwan.

The smarter E – a new platform bringing together all key areas
The global energy world is undergoing a radical transformation. The digitalization of the energy sector and the intelligent connection of electricity, heat and mobility have become the special focus of a
revamped energy industry. Against this backdrop, a new platform is being launched to bring these key areas together. Known as The smarter E Europe, this new umbrella brand will see four energy exhibitions take place in parallel from 2018, with the leading exhibitions Intersolar and ees Europe being joined by two additional events: Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power. In future, the exhibitions will shine the spotlight on e-mobility and intelligent energy use in industry and commerce.
By establishing the new umbrella brand The smarter E, the organizers have taken a logical step towards building a new energy world. With their exhibitions, conferences and forums that cover all the important aspects of the energy value chain, they have created a special meeting place for the
pioneers of the energy industry.
ees Europe and the parallel events will take place from June 20–22, 2018 under the umbrella of The smarter E at Messe München.

For more information, please visit: www.ees-europe.com/en www.TheSmarterE.de/en