Sustainable Energy and Alternative Sources of Storage

With nearly 1.5 million recorded visits since October 1st, the Expo 2020 continues to bring together global minds, creating solutions to global problems and steering the world forward.

Among the many countries exhibiting at the Expo is Germany, which I feel is a world leader in sustainability. Germany pioneered the “energiewende” which is its path to a secure, environmentally friendly, and economically successful future. Energiewende represents the decision to fully overhaul Germany‘s energy supply, moving away from nuclear energy in favor of renewable energy sources and this energy to be used more efficiently. I am keen on this as we slowly transition to a net-zero world.

In a reflection of the country’s role as a world leader in the sustainability field, Germany has a pavilion located in the Sustainability District at Expo 2020. Well-known as Campus Germany, it re-enacts campus life taking visitors on a journey through different themed labs.

Energy Lab

The Energy Lab enables visitors to learn about the sustainable generation of electricity, loss-free transmission, and alternative forms of storage from different exhibits.

One exhibit, provided by start-up Enerkite, takes a new approach to wind energy with kite-based systems that offer a considerably more efficient means of generation than traditional wind power facilities.

Another on the exhibit that I find interesting is Heliatek, which showcases their organic solar films, demonstrating how they would transform any building into an ultra-green net-zero building. The HeliaSol solar films are easy to install on a variety of building surfaces due to the integrated backside adhesive and are also ultra-light, flexible, ultra-thin. Heliatek envisions that by 2030, they will enable every building to be 100% energy neutral and smart, with access to an independent supply of green electricity.

Essen-based company Innogy showcases AmpaCity, which is the only superconductor in the world that is already integrated into grid operations. I was reading about superconductors where I learned that Innogy actually developed further an idea discovered in 1986 by German scientists Alex Müller and Georg Bednorz about high temperature super conductors. So, the underground cable links together two transformer substations, a kilometre apart, in Essen city centre, transmitting electricity with almost no loss. AmpaCity shows how this concept works in practice, paving the way for a technology that is set to play a key role in transmission in tomorrow’s energy grids.

The exhibition also features a project that I find important in terms of energy storage. The StenSea - “Stored Energy in the Sea” - project conducted by the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology. Using a model, the exhibit demonstrates a pumped storage concept for storing large amounts of electrical energy offshore.

Finally, the APEX Group in conjunction with WEMAG, a leading manufacturer of battery and storage systems from Mecklenburg, and the Ministry for Energy, Infrastructure and Digitization, are showcasing their innovative storage systems that aims to compensate for fluctuations in the amount of wind and solar energy supplied to the grid by using battery and hydrogen storage systems. This is certainly a key project to look at as we transition to renewable energy.

We are definitely making significant progress in terms of moving towards sustainable energy solutions and I’m confident that by adopting innovations, it accelerates the transformation of the energy sector.

Start Them Young

The German pavilion has Forscherwelt (a German word for researchers’ world) by Henkel, where children can have fun with science and enjoy being young researchers. During the free science classes at Forscherwelt, they are taught how to save energy, recycle paper and use renewable raw materials.

The team has designed a series of new experiments based around sustainability for the kids to get involved in. Building a more sustainable future is ingrained in the way we do business, support communities, approach innovation and develop new technologies. The Forscherwelt uses this as a way to pass on knowledge through the enjoyment of science.

I encourage parents to take their children to the German pavilion to experience Forscherwelt. I believe it is great to start them young as it builds their curiosity and will to discover more.

I am generally pleased by the involvement of the German pavilion in the Expo 2020 with lots of innovation and solutions in the field of sustainability. I encourage everyone to visit the Expo 2020 and discover new solutions or share knowledge or raise awareness on how important sustainability is for today and tomorrow.