Event to focus on re-shaping Europe’s energy infrastructure using smart and sustainable super-grids
Monumental changes are in place to move toward a more sustainable energy infrastructure. Many of these changes centre on implementing high-payoff energy conservation projects and improving the prospects for innovation and diffusion of decentralised and renewable energy sources.
INSEAD, the leading international business school, today announced its 22nd Alumni Sustainability Executive Roundtable will take place 16-17 November 2009 on the school’s Fontainebleau campus. This two-day event will focus on the development of smart and sustainable super-grids and whether they are a realistic and viable option for enhancing energy infrastructure and security.
Sponsored by INSEAD alumni, these roundtable events bring together alumni, faculty, executives and industry experts to share their experiences and debate the challenges of sustainability. Top INSEAD influencers – including Paul Kleindorfer, organiser of the roundtable and Chair of the INSEAD Advisory Panel on Energy – will be on hand to discuss how to best implement these smart-grid structures, how policies and tariffs can support the growing number of innovations in energy conservation and discuss other renewable energy technologies on the horizon.
‘Though often overlooked or taken for granted, our future energy infrastructure will be a determining factor in what the society of tomorrow will look like,’ said Luk Van Wassenhove, Professor of Operations Management and Director of INSEAD’s Social Innovation Centre. ‘This roundtable provides a platform for alumni and industry experts to discuss alternative visions of the super-grid, debate business and political realities that stand in its way, and examine the stakes for all of us in re-shaping the future of Europe’s energy landscape.’
Research shows that smart-grid technology allows better use of existing electric power resources as well as efficient connection of new electric power resources to the existing grid. Without proper metering, for example, demand-side opportunities for conservation will neither be recognised nor valued properly. Biomass projects and vehicle-to-grid operations are two additional infrastructures that would benefit and profit from symbiotic relationships with the grid. However, there are several challenges standing in the way, including difficulties of obtaining investments across multiple organisational providers and investors, system coordination problems remain unresolved, and political and legislative issues act as a barrier in stimulating investment to ensure economic efficiency.
‘It’s no surprise there are significant business and technical problems associated with moving toward systems that will accommodate these innovations without comprising operational stability of the grid,’ Van Wassenhove added. ‘This session will allow INSEAD and its peers the opportunity to develop research and educational objectives in response to these challenges.’
Founded in 2007, the INSEAD Social Innovation Centre is an inclusive platform for cross-disciplinary research and engagement in the area of social innovation. The Centre brings together a diverse group of leading INSEAD research teams focused on the innovation of business models and market-based mechanisms that deliver sustainable economic, environmental and social prosperity.
For more information about INSEAD’s Social Innovation Centre and sustainability, please visit http://knowledge.insead.edu
