The e-harbours conference Energy Matters drew a large audience to the city center of Zaanstad, March 21/22 2013. The conference marked a new step in the development of the e-harbours program, shifting the attention from research on the advantages and possibilities of smart energy systems to practical application of those systems.

One reason to make this step is that the theoretical foundation for smart energy systems is getting more and more robust. The e-harbours research teams in Hamburg and Antwerp have showed convincingly what gains a smart energy system can bring, and which business models are available to realize those profits. The e-harbours program also made an overview of the obstacles that hamper development of smart energy systems in daily practice, analyzing juridical, organizational and economic problems. Now the question is: in what ways can we overcome the obstacles, and start realizing the benefits of smart energy systems? Download the full report here. Click here for the Energy Matters movie. Continue reading →