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As the share of wind and solar power in the electricity mix continues to grow, so do the challenges of distributing energy efficiently. Power is not always generated where it is needed most, and supply fluctuates throughout the day and across seasons. As a result, energy infrastructure must become more flexible and intelligently connect a wide range of producers and consumers.
These challenges were the focus of the conference “Wind & System Integration: Grids, Flexibility and Sector Coupling” at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI). Organized by the Institute for New Energy Systems (InEs) and led by Professor Daniel Navarro Gevers, the event explored how the energy system can adapt to the changing demands of the energy transition. While last year’s inaugural conference concentrated on the integration of wind power and heat supply, this year’s discussions centered on system integration, grid stability, and new approaches to energy management.
“As the energy transition progresses, the demands placed on our infrastructure continue to increase. It is therefore essential to consider energy generation, distribution, and consumption as an integrated system. Achieving this requires not only technological solutions but also close collaboration between academia, industry, and society. As a university, we aim to help translate research into practice and bring together the right partners to drive innovation,” said THI Vice President Professor Hans-Joachim Hof.
The conference program highlighted how tangible these challenges have become. Experts shared insights from Denmark’s experience, discussed flexible grid connection concepts, and examined how wind farms can contribute to maintaining the stability of the electricity supply. Additional presentations focused on integrating new energy assets into existing infrastructure. Topics such as community energy projects, regional value creation, and practical implementation examples complemented the technical discussions and broadened the perspective beyond engineering considerations.
Following the presentations, participants were invited to take an active role in a fishbowl discussion, where they introduced their own priorities and explored open questions together with the speakers.
The conference was held as part of the W³ project, which is funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Within the project, THI collaborates with 20 network partners, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises from the region. The goal is to accelerate the transfer of innovative approaches for the heat and energy transition into real-world business applications.
Presentation materials from the conference are available for download at the InEs knowledge transfer website: Knowledge Transfer at InEs.
