As well as showcasing the latest technologies, solutions and business models for the new energy world, Europe’s largest platform for the energy industry, The smarter E Europe, and its four exhibitions will also celebrate the pioneers and innovators behind these ideas. The best in each class will be recognised with The smarter E AWARD, Intersolar AWARD, ees AWARD, and – new for this year – the Power2Drive AWARD and EM-Power AWARD. The finalists shortlisted for these international awards have now been revealed by the panel of experts, with the winners set to be announced on June 13, 2023 – on the eve of The smarter E Europe – at the International Congress Center München (ICM). The smarter E Europe and its four exhibitions (Intersolar Europe, ees Europe, Power2Drive Europe and EM-Power Europe) will take place from June 14–16, 2023, at Messe München. 2,200 exhibitors across 17 exhibition halls with an enormous 180,000 square meters of exhibition space will be awaiting more than 85,000 visitors from 160 different countries.

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The smarter E AWARDS Finalists 2023 Graphic: Solar Promotion GmbH

Intelligent, innovative, interdisciplinary – Europe’s largest platform for the energy industry, The smarter E Europe, shines the spotlight on key topics for the new energy world, in particular solar energy, storage technology, energy management, smart grids and e-mobility. The smarter E AWARD 2023 celebrates exceptional projects involving cross-sector collaboration and in 2023 the finalists include several start-ups. German company HPS Home Power Solutions combines PV systems with hydrogen energy storage, and is using its ground-breaking technology to supply an entire commercial property (in the town of Meckenheim just outside Bonn) with 100% carbon-neutral electricity and heat for the very first time. Meanwhile Fenecon, a company based in Lower Bavaria, has developed the first charging station for electric buses to be used on the Swiss public transport network. The other finalists include German company Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen and Spanish company Wallbox Chargers.

The solar industry has made efficiency its mission, in everything from PV modules, to string inverters for free-standing installations and improved mounting and monitoring systems. The finalists for the Intersolar AWARD 2023 are shining examples of this. With the introduction of the European Union’s climate protection goals and surging energy prices continuing to drive demand for PV modules in the residential market, manufacturers have responded by developing increasingly high-performance modules measuring a maximum size of two square meters, as demonstrated by the ABC modules from Shenzhen Aiko Digital Energy Technology from China. The flexible PV modules from AWARD finalist Apollo Power from Israel are also a great example of the growing number of specialist solutions being developed for roofs with reduced load-bearing capacity. As heat pump technology becomes more and more widespread another key trend is the growing demand for simultaneous generation of electricity and low-temperature heat using photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) modules. The Sunmaxx PX-1 module from German company Sunmaxx PVT is a fantastic example of this and more than worthy of a place among this year’s finalists for the Intersolar AWARD.

Batteries and energy storage systems are vital technologies if we are to achieve a reliable energy supply from renewable sources. Energy storage is becoming an increasingly important topic and this is reflected in the finalists shortlisted for the ees AWARDs 2023. This year, the majority of the pioneering products and solutions selected by the panel of experts are from the field of residential storage systems. Demand is growing for compact mobile storage systems with inverters, which can be used both on-grid and as an off-grid system in connection with PV balcony installations, and the EcoFlow PowerStream from finalist EcoFlow from China is a great example of this technology. Another trend, in terms of the cell chemistry, is towards lithium-iron-phosphate cells, as showcased by the TrinaStorage Elementa storage system and a modular residential storage system from Huawei.

This year, for the very first time, technologies and business models promoting emission-free mobility will be recognised with the brand new Power2Drive AWARD. The shortlisted finalists have all developed ground-breaking products and services in the areas of e-mobility and charging infrastructure, bidirectional charging solutions, mobility services or software solutions. Currently, one of the big industry trends is to optimize PV-powered charging stations with AC wallboxes using single and 3-phase charging, as demonstrated by the eCharger from finalist SMA Solar Technology from Germany. Another key focus area for 2023 is the development of charging stations for light electric vehicles such as e-scooters or e-bikes for use in public spaces. Many of these charging stations feature integrated solar modules and the Helios charging station from finalist Solum Photovoltaic Innovation from Spain is a fantastic example of this technology.

Also new for 2023 is the EM-Power AWARD. This brand new prize recognizes companies whose pioneering technologies and services have made a valuable contribution to a stable 24/7 renewable energy supply. The products and solutions developed by the finalists for the EM-Power AWARD 2023 either help integrate renewable energies, storage systems, prosumers, e-mobility and power-to-heat concepts into the energy system or enable energy flows to be monitored and controlled at all levels of the grid and between grid participants. Among those shortlisted are innovative energy management solutions such as LEWIZ from finalist Xemex (Belgium), the WATTSTER Box from Wattando (Germany), the ChargePilot system from The Mobility House (Germany) and the Energy Management System from EnExpert (Italy).

The winners of all these prestigious industry awards – The smarter E AWARD, Intersolar AWARD, ees AWARD, Power2Drive AWARD and EM-Power AWARD – will be announced in room 1 at the International Congress Center München (ICM) on June 13, 2023 at 6:00 pm, as part of a ceremony to celebrate their achievements.

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