Across the globe, 2024 is a critical election year, where the drive for net-zero has been a key agenda item on the ballots. The European Parliament elections were set against a backdrop of increasing right-wing populism. What now is the outlook for the EU’s support for green industries and policies on corporate sustainability and the growing importance of the energy transition as a central theme in European politics?
2024 Agenda
8:50am
Welcome from the Chair
Entrepreneur & Broadcaster
9:00am
OPENING ADDRESS:
How are changing geopolitical risks shaping the drive for net-zero?
Climate Change Journalist & Commentator
9:20am
A net zero emissions future: How do we make it a reality?
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Energy Infrastructure: Creating a transition-ready network: Construction, connection and management
As governments enact climate-friendly policies, electric grids need to be decarbonised, by using renewable-energy sources. Despite its urgency, redesigning electric grids is both a political and technological challenge. How can such a revolution happen?
- Do we need to start over, or can existing regulation be adapted to meet the needs of a distributed, renewable energy system?
- The commercial, technical and regulatory dynamics of integrating renewables into the power system
- Changing Ireland’s energy infrastructure: What would private electricity wires mean for Ireland’s energy system?
Head of Renewable Energy, Bord na Móna
Principal Officer, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC)
lecturer in Planning & Environmental Law, Sutherland School of Law, UCD
9:55am
Delivering on our clean energy potential
Recent research from KPMG shows that people in Ireland are broadly committed to change and support large-scale energy infrastructure and renewable energy projects once they benefit local communities and create jobs. However, to secure Ireland’s energy future and achieve energy independence, we need a compelling vision for what this will mean for people, their communities and future job prospects.
Partner, KPMG
10:10am
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Powering the future: Charting the course for Ireland’s energy transition
- Assessing the pace of transition: Identifying key successes so far and challenges ahead
- Delivering a secure renewable energy supply: how do operators need to adapt?
- Engaging the customer: how can consumer engagement with the transition be fostered?
- Optimising the energy system: which green technologies hold the most potential?
- Regulatory reform: Optimising policy and regulation to further support the transition
- People and skills: the crucial skills needed to design and deliver our future energy system
General Manager & Project Director for Ireland at OW
Country President Ireland,, Schneider Electric
Managing Director, SSE Airtricity
Director of Decarbonisation, CRU
11:00am
Morning break
STREAM 1: THE CUSTOMER TRANSITION
Engaging & empowering consumers on the energy transition journey
11:35am
Welcome from the Chair
CEO, the Irish Solar Energy Association
11:40am
KEYNOTE:
Unlocking customer empowerment in the energy transition
Senior Manager, Distribution Markets & System Operation (DMSO) Design, ESB Networks
11:55am
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Empowering the customer: How do we make it easy for consumers to make sustainable choices?
- Doing more with data: Engaging consumers with energy efficiency
- Harnessing data and AI to transform customer experience and enable new energy business models
- Empowering energy consumers to understand and control their energy usage with next gen smart meters
- Developing sustainable propositions, products and services
- Combining small-scale and behind-the-meter technologies for home and business to make the transition simpler for all customers
- Transforming billing to integrate green products and services
- Financial supports for retrofitting, upgrading energy efficiency of homes
Vice Chair, Eurelectric Retail Market Design Working Group and Vice Chair, Electricity Association of Ireland’s (EAI) Retail Committee
CEO & CTO, VIOTAS
Co-CEO, Zoa
Chair of the Energy Task Force of CEPI (European Real Estate Association) and Vice Chair of the Sustainability Group of the Society of Chartered Surveyors in Ireland
12:30pm
Tackling energy poverty: A win-win solution
How can urgent transition and affordability issues be effectively addressed? We’ll hear how
EnergyCloud, a social enterprise, is a win-win solution to tackling energy poverty in Ireland.
John Mullins, Chairperson, EnergyCloud Ireland
12:45pm
CASE STUDIES:
From energy living labs to creating energy-secure communities, new use cases, business models, and planning methodologies to aid in the implementation of community energy hubs; Mark talks us through some projects empowering citizens and fostering energy secure communities through innovative methodologies and technologies
EPRI Fellow
STREAM 2: ENERGY STORAGE, SECURITY & RELIABILITY
Electricity market redesign to enable energy storage for a carbon-neutral future
11:30am
Welcome from the Chair
Entrepreneur & Broadcaster
11:35am
KEYNOTE:
“Mainstreaming” batteries: How to identify the most competitive technologies and ensure profitable deployment
Founder & CEO dvlp.energy, Clean Energy Expert, Author of Monetizing Energy Storage, Berlin
11:55am
PANEL DISCUSSION
Future storage: Building an effective energy storage system
Building a fleet of rapid-responding storage assets to underpin a balanced grid
- How quickly can batteries be deployed as stabilisers of renewable energy?
- Ensuring the long-term storage of energy: What technologies hold the most promise?
- Trialling new solutions
- Effective integration: How to improve the coordination between the grid operator and storage providers?
- How will the regulatory system have to adapt to support the development of large-scale storage?
Technical Advisor, Net Zero Energy
CEO, Energy Storage Ireland
Principal Officer, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC)
12:30pm
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Data Centres
Industrial decarbonisation of data centres and large-scale energy consumers
CEO, Gyrogy
12:45pm
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Microgrids for energy security & resilience
1:00pm
STREAM 3: ENERGY INNOVATION
Accelerating clean tech innovation
11:30am
Welcome from the Chair
Chief Operating Officer, Second Life Battery Services Ltd
11:35am
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Accelerating clean energy innovation: Opportunities in the burgeoning cleantech sector and how to scale them
- Which innovations are leading the way in key sectors such as alternative clean energy, adaptation and carbon capture?
- What are the major challenges that clean energy entrepreneurs face?
- What government policies and investment are needed to address the scalability problem?
- What incentives are necessary to motivate large asset owners to invest in small-cap, high-risk cleantech startups?
CEO, Urban Volt
CEO, AffinityEV
12:05pm
SPOTLIGHT ON AI:
Is AI the silver bullet to accelerate the clean energy transition?
New tools to manage energy consumption
School of Engineering and Architecture/MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, UCC
12:20pm
SPOTLIGHT ON:
The transition to hydrogen: How are energy alternatives progressing?
12:35pm
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Carbon capture and storage: is carbon dioxide capture key to achieving the 2050 climate goals?
Chairman, Arigna Group
12:50pm
SPOTLIGHT ON:
Airborne wind energy
progress in commercialising airborne wind energy and its potential for Ireland.
Communications Specialist, BlueWise Marine
1:15pm
Lunch break
2:15pm
Welcome back from the Chair
Entrepreneur & Broadcaster
2:20pm
Financing the energy transition: Who pays?
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Financing the transition:
- what role is investment playing and how can more be attracted?
- What are the investment criteria for the energy transition?
- New finance streams for accelerating transition: What are the opportunities and barriers to investment in developing energy infrastructure and technologies for the transition?
- Private capital for low carbon energy projects
- Understanding what consumers are willing to pay for and how much
Founder, Stakelum Consultancy
Professor in energy economics, School of Economics and the Energy Institute, UCD
Partner, Schroders Greencoat LLP
2:55pm
FIRESIDE CHAT:
Public engagement in energy infrastructure projects: Are we getting it right?
Under the Aarhus Convention developers must provide access to Information, enable public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. Failing to engage communities affected by your transition plans carries significant financial, operational, and reputational risk. Carol discusses how energy companies can create a responsible, benefit-driven community integration strategy that will supercharge clean-energy success.
CEO, Property District
3:15pm
PANEL DISCUSSION:
Equity in the energy transition
- Ensuring a just and inclusive path forward: How can costs be distributed equitably among consumers and stakeholders?
- Strategies to ensure nationwide access to clean energy
- How can the cost of green technology be managed for vulnerable customers?
- The power of community energy: What benefits can it bring to local communities?
- Protecting the environment: Mitigating the impact of new energy infrastructure
- What more could governments and regulators do to ensure a just transition?
Technical Director, AECOM
Executive Director, Business for Biodiversity
Policy Director, Liquid Gas Ireland (LGI)
3:50pm