Online-Conference: On the Path of the Energy Transition: How renewable energies are fundamentally transforming the electricity market and grids

Monday, June 1, 2026 from 6:15 PM to 8:00 PM

Speaker — Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans Schäfers: Professor of Intelligent Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency, and Director of the Competence Center for Energy Transition (CC4E) at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.

His area of expertise is the coordination of supply and demand in the field of renewable energies and the necessary restructuring of the entire electricity system.

The expansion of solar and wind energy required for the energy transition is changing not only how electricity is produced, but also how it is distributed and used. Today’s electricity system was designed for fossil fuels — such as coal and gas — which deliver energy continuously. Renewable energies, by contrast, depend on weather conditions, meaning electricity production is subject to significantly greater fluctuations.

This new, fluctuating supply poses major challenges for the existing electricity system. To make the best possible use of available energy and to bring supply and consumption into optimal balance, both the electricity market and the electricity grids must adapt.

The fundamental question is therefore: What structural, technical, and market-based changes are needed to best align electricity production and consumption in the future?

Key questions include:

• What are the basic structures of the existing electricity market, which is still largely shaped by fossil fuels?
• What happens to the electricity market when renewable energies are expanded very significantly?
• How can the system be made more «flexible» — meaning how can demand be better aligned with supply to ensure stability and security of supply? (Key concepts: smart grids and flexible generation, load management, storage)
• How can pricing contribute to the integration of renewable energies and to grid stabilisation? What causes negative electricity prices, and how can they be avoided?
• What role can energy storage systems — such as batteries — play in integrating renewable energies into the electricity system?

Prof. Dr. Schäfers will draw on his extensive experience to present these highly technical topics in a way that is accessible to non-experts. The aim is for attendees to come away from the talk — and the discussion that follows — with a clearer understanding of the central challenges involved in restructuring the energy system as part of the energy transition. This will also address, concretely, what this means for Luxembourg’s energy policy and what further initiatives would be worthwhile.

The language of the conference is german, a translation to English will be provided.

Registration:

To participate in an online conference, please register by email at inscription@meco.lu  by or by phone at 43 90 30 – 1.

Certificates of participation can be issued upon request.