Renewables and Decentralized Energy in Smart Cities

This Septembers IPFA event was organized around Renewables and Decentralized Energy in Smart Cities hosted by BDO Belgium. A broad panel of speakers from relevant industry players were invited to share and debate on their role in the ongoing energy transition and on the structuring of adequate financing solutions.

Renewable energy today is hot. Global climate targets and decarbonization of energy production are important drivers to further innovate in renewable energy. Large solar projects, off and onshore wind farms and CHP (Combined Heat and Power) are developed on an enormous scale, quickly replacing the traditional energy sources. Still it is hard to reach an international consensus on a concrete action plan regarding technologies to be used, targets and allocation amongst nations.

The most appropriate level at which new initiatives for renewable energy projects can be captured and stimulated seems to be the local communities such as cities, villages and neighborhood. Local Energy Communities, off-grid production, supply-demand balancing, energy storage and implementation of data and IOT networks will form a micro-layer driving future energy production. Smart financing strategies will need to be adopted to sustain micro-initiatives and link financial resources to sound business models.

These concerns were extensively discussed during the event. Speakers from different fields of interest explained their contribution and insights. This shift, which impacts industrial, financial and legal aspects, requires from all of us a completely new and innovative way of thinking. Speakers included representatives from Wattson, Engie-Tractebel, Creamo, Eubelius and BDO. The presentations are available upon request.