So, Enlit 2024 was definitely a different experience for me this year. I’ll be honest - I showed up feeling pretty unprepared. A busy autumn packed with work trips and a week of holiday right before meant I wasn’t quite in the Enlit mindset.
Milan definitely had a noticeably different atmosphere than last year’s Enlit in Paris, where we were tied to our Navitasoft booth. That was kind of a good thing. Without a packed schedule, I had more time to explore, join some hub sessions, check out companies I’d never heard of, and chat with new people. Going in with no real agenda just let me approach this fair with an open mind.
I’m usually not a fan of panel sessions - they can feel more like thinly veiled sales pitches than real discussions. But this year, I was impressed. The sessions I joined actually felt like discussions, with people digging into the issues instead of just promoting their products. It was refreshing and made the whole experience a lot more valuable. This is what I took in:
Flex or copper - That's the question
To my surprise, many sessions focused on grid issues for Transmission and Distribution System Operators (TSOs and DSOs). This was new to me; I didn’t see much of it at Enlit 2023 in Paris. When I first joined Navitasoft over a year ago, I had little exposure to grid topics since I’d mostly been working with energy traders. Honestly, I thought the TSO side of our business would be the “boring” part compared to our VPP EMoT flexibility solutions. But, boy, was I wrong. It took me a bit to understand how interconnected the grid and flexibility worlds are. The more volatile renewable energy we have, the more challenging life gets for grid operators - which means more opportunities for flexibility providers to step up and help balance things out.
An array of flexibility services
One thing that stood out this year was the sheer diversity of “flexibility service providers” showcasing their solutions, from basic monitoring to comprehensive Energy Management Systems (EMS), Virtual Power Plants (VPP), and localized flexibility tools - it was a lot to process. (By the way, the recent VPP market study from ComTech Advisory provides a great breakdown.) And with different regulations from one country to the next, companies have to create IT solutions that cater to each unique market, adding even more complexity to an already tangled web. (Shout out to the smartEn-LCP Market Monitor on Demand Side Flexibility for insights into the market differences.)
The demand side response code
One session that stood out was the “Flexibility Markets: Status Update.” The panelists discussed how the EU Network Code for Demand Side Response could help kick off the harmonization of flexibility services across Europe. A good example: in the Nordics, registering an EV for grid services is as simple as telling the DSO the model. But in other countries, you’d need a certified smart meter, plus a load of paperwork and approvals, to do the same thing. It’s clear there’s room to make this process smoother.
En vogue: grid resilience and flexibility
Looking back at Enlit 2024, it’s pretty clear the energy industry is heading in a new direction. This year’s focus on grid resilience and flexibility is more than a passing trend - it’s becoming the new way we’ll deal with the ups and downs of renewable energy. With the EU working to align on things like Demand Side Response, there’s a real push to cut through the red tape and make flexibility services easier to roll out across different regions. It feels like we’re moving toward a future where managing grid volatility and adapting IT solutions for each country’s unique needs will be the new standard.
Seeing so many flexibility providers out there with different approaches, it’s evident that this part of the industry is getting more competitive and more innovative. We’re in for an exciting ride as we all work to keep up with these shifts.
When Enlit 2025 takes place in Bilbao next year, grid stability will become even more of a focus - it seems to me that it is only picking up momentum. And it makes sense. The more renewables we add, the more we’ll need flexible, reliable systems to keep everything in check. We’re just scratching the surface, and I think Bilbao will push us even further into what it takes to create a truly balanced, adaptive grid.