denmark: a european smart grid hub - Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster

Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster 16Intelligent buildingsAlthough Denmark has a large number ofcompanies working on smart grid software,according to Göran Wilke, consultant at Exergiand former director of the Danish ElectricitySaving Trust, even more compentecies areneeded to develop the intelligent buildingsof the future that will play an active role inthe smart grid. “We lack medium-sized playersthat have a focus on consumer issues.The consumer does not feel that he has aproblem right now, so the smart solution hasto appeal to the consumer first and foremost.So we are looking for companies with visionand muscle that can combine energy, greenIT and consumer issues. Denmark would bethe starter market, where companies fromdifferent countries can test and show theirproducts destined for a much larger market,”Göran Wilke says.Denmark is a good test marketGöran Wilke agrees that our challengeswill make us first movers, but also calls forimproved competencies within integratedsolutions: “We need to be better at buildingflexible solutions into heat pumps, electricvehicles etc., so that power supply and heatpumps, for example, come in one ‘package’,”he says. Göran Wilke also believes thatDenmark is a “fantastic test country” fornew smart grid technology, as the Danes arecurious, want smart solutions and are open tonew technology – the products, however, stillneed to be great and viable in market conditions.“This means,” he says, “that Denmark isa ‘natural environment’ for new products, andgood solutions will therefore be quickly takenup on the Danish market.”Benefits of being in the world’s leadinggreen labWhen considering whether to enter the Danishmarket to contribute specific smart gridcapabilities, companies should also take intoaccount the conditions into which they are locatingtheir activities: Denmark’s status as the‘green demonstratorium of the world’ makes ita location which is both easy and beneficial toenter for business purposes. “One of the challengesin the grid today is that the companiesthat deliver products and services for utilitiesare often large international companies.These players have a natural platform fromwhich to expand their portfolio to includesmart grid products, but they do not alwayshave the full picture of the necessary solutionsin an electric power system with a veryhigh proportion of renewable energy – and thisunderstanding is important for being able todevelop good future products and solutions.For that, research, development and testingare essential components,” Jacob Østergaardfrom DTU explains.This is a key aspect in theDanish smart grid sector today and will be inthe future.