Smart grids, the Internet of Energy, and artificial intelligence are shaping the energy system of the future. As we move towards a more sustainable energy infrastructure, the digitization of the system raises new questions. Join researchers Romy Dekker and Irene Niet in an interactive session to explore the issues and challenges of our future digital energy system.
This program is organized in collaboration with the Rathenau Instituut .
Please note that this program will last until 13:45. It will not be possible to leave the hall earlier.
In the sustainability transition, new players are emerging with innovative solutions to enhance efficiency, balance supply and demand, and increase affordability. From local energy communities to private aggregators, they all have one thing in common – a reliance on digital. The promises of implementing digital technologies in our energy system are vast. Imagine your car or home battery automatically charging when electricity prices are low, due to abundant renewable energy. Conversely, during periods of high electricity prices, you can use your stored energy or sell it at a premium on the electricity market. Grid operators also need more data to manage the increasingly complex power system and avoid blackouts.
We have reached a point where it is hard to imagine a future energy system without digital technologies: no energy without data, and no data without energy. But this digitization raises new questions. For example, how do we ensure everyone is part of this revolution? Can we prevent tech giants like Google and Amazon from dominating our energy system? These and more questions will be explored in this interactive session.
Irene Niet is a Ph.D. candidate at Eindhoven University of Technology since 2019, specializing in the governance of artificial intelligence in the energy transition. Her focus is on the Dutch electricity system. One of her research topics is the analysis of how artificial intelligence pressures or promotes public values in the electricity system. She also teaches in the Technology, Innovation and Society (TIS) group at TU/e.
Romy Dekker is a senior researcher at the Rathenau Instituut, the Dutch parliamentary organization for technology assessment (TA) and science systems assessment (SciSA) in The Hague. She holds degrees in cultural anthropology and development sociology. Her research focuses on topics related to the governance of sustainability, such as the effects of digitization and the energy transition on society. She is a part-time PhD-candidate in the democratic governance of science and technology at Eindhoven University of Technology.
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SG & USE/ITEC registration
Please register for SG & USE/ITEC by scanning your student ID at the venue prior to the start of the program.
More information about SG & USE/ITEC can be found here.