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In March 2019, seven members of the NSERC Energy Storage Technology (NEST) Network travelled to Central Europe to visit researchers in Denmark and Germany.  The trip was part of the NEST Network’s broader internationalization strategy – to make connections with like-minded researchers world-wide to promote the sharing of information, to grow student mobility, and to augment collaborative scientific investigations.  Following the Network’s successful Missions to the United Kingdom and United States in 2018, the trip was designed to maximize the range and kind of international connections. This brief blog provides a summary of the Mission; follow-up activities continue.

The Mission’s members were as follows:

• Dr. Bala Venkatesh, Ryerson University – Network Director; Project 1.5 Leader â€“ Hybrid Energy Storage System Designs; Project 1.6 Leader â€“ Design of Pole-top Energy Storage; Project 3.2 Leader -- Optimal Planning of Energy Storage in Distributed Systems Considering the Feeder Investment Model; Project 3.7 Leader â€“ Capacity Markets for Energy Storage:  Design and Implementation
• , University of Waterloo – Network Internationalization Lead; Project 4.6 Leader â€“ Social Acceptance of Energy Storage Systems
• , University of Edinburgh – Theme 4 Leader â€“ Economics and Policy; Project 4.2 Leader â€“ Modelling Electricity Market Prices Considering Large-Scale Energy Storage Penetration; Project 4.4 Leader â€“ Optimal Brokerage Models for the Grid Integration of Energy Storage
• , Simon Fraser University – Project 1.1 Leader â€“ Hybrid Multilevel Grid-Scale Battery Thermal Management System
• , University of Waterloo – Theme 3 Leader â€“ Power Systems Integration; Project 3.5 Leader â€“ Operation and Control of Power Systems with Energy Storage
• , University of Ottawa – Theme 1 Leader â€“ Energy Storage Technologies; Project 1.4 Leader â€“ Thermal Energy Storage in Adsorbent Beds for Space Heating and Cooling
• Ms. Karen Ho-Cespedes, Ryerson University – Network Manager

Germany and Denmark both offer much of interest to NEST Network researchers.

Germany’s prominence in energy initiatives and activities is well-known – it hosted, for instance, the first , in 2004, and the , (the energy transition) has influenced energy policy both within the country and beyond.  Germany has also been a leader in energy research.  A review of publications on SCOPUS since 2010 reveals that Germany ranks third globally (behind China and the United States) in terms of number of publications[1]. And the country looks set to continue its activity in this area, with a number of energy-focused centres in Germany’s .

While smaller in size, Denmark, too, has a history of energy innovation and a depth of energy research.  With respect to the former, Denmark’s , and the country was one of the global leaders in the use of feed-in tariffs; Denmark is also home to the , (Vestas).  And with respect to the latter, Denmark hosts some of the world’s top universities, and its Government has identified, in its recent document entitled ‘’, green growth as a priority; within that, ‘an efficient, intelligent and integrated energy system’ is listed first.

With five distinct destinations in five days, the Mission covered a lot of territory, as well as a lot of different kinds of institutions.  Three world-class universities hosted us at different times during the week, and the potential for collaboration with members of each became clear during the course of the respective day-long visits. 

•  has expertise in energy storage and advanced energy technologies across a number of locations (Roskilde, Lyngby, and Copenhagen) and across a number of units, including , , , and .  We were warmly welcomed by senior leadership and senior researchers, and discussions regarding future collaboration continue.  (And, as a personal aside, being able to return to Roskilde after more than 20 years and see old colleagues at the  were highlights for me.)
•  was successful in receiving two  in September 2018, and one of those was entitled, ‘’.  Thus, needless to say, there was ample opportunity for discussion among researchers on issues of common interest.  An opportunity to visit the  was another highlight.  And, again, discussions regarding collaborative opportunities continue.
•  is partnering with KIT on , and it was enjoyable to learn more about the outstanding research underway.  Visits to the  and the  illuminated areas for the focus of continued conversations.

In addition to universities, the delegates had the opportunity to visit other kinds of institutions:  one an organization for applied research, the other a multi-client and multi-purpose urban space.

• The  (Fraunhofer IEE in Kassel), offered the opportunity to visit an extensive testing/field location as well as the chance to explore common research interests.
• The  () gave the Canadian delegates exposure to a range of technologies advancing sustainable energy services in a city setting.  Contextual discussions – linking the demonstrations to ongoing academic research – enriched the day considerably.

Implementation of the Network’s broader internationalization strategy also continues.  A full update will be provided at the 2019 NESTNet Week in June.[1] Search terms: ‘storage and energy’.  Total number of articles:  133,302.  Number from Germany:  8,488.  Of these, KIT was the top affiliation (467).  (Search conducted on 31 March 2019.)