Review of ENERDAY 2026 – 20th International Conference on Energy Economics and Technology

With this year's ENERDAY – the 20th International Conference on Energy Economics and Technology – we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our conference and looked back on the history of one of the first international energy economics conferences in Germany. Under the title "Celebrating 20 Years of ENERDAY: Two Decades of International Research, Innovation, and Progress on the Path to Climate Neutrality" just over 100 participants from academia and industry gathered on March 27, 2026, in the lecture hall centre of TU Dresden to reflect on two decades of energy research and look ahead to the next 20 years. To complement the anniversary, a beautifully designed commemorative publication is available, offering further insights and background on ENERDAY's history.

The opening of ENERDAY by Prof. Dr. Angela Rösen-Wolff (Vice-Rector for Research and Technology Transfer, TU Dresden), Prof. Dr. Michael Schefczyk (Dean of the Faculty of Economics, TU Dresden) and Prof. Dr. Dominik Möst (Chair of Energy Economics, TU Dresden) acknowledged the importance of energy economics research at TU Dresden and the two-decade history of ENERDAY, including the scientific discourse.

The event followed the established format of keynote speeches and parallel sessions (program). Three keynote speakers from research and practice provided concise insights and opened up different perspectives on key topics:

• In the morning keynote address, Prof. Dr. Andreas Löschel (Ruhr University Bochum) spoke on “Energy Systems of the Future – Decentralisation, Digitalisation and Delegation” He explored how the three central trends of decentralisation, digitalization, and changing governance structures will shape the energy systems of the future, and what attitudes and economic policy conclusions can be drawn from them.
• After the lunch break, the second keynote address was given by Prof. Dr. Hannes Weigt from the University of Basel. Titled “20 Years of Enerday, 20 Years of Energy Research: Achievements and Challenges in the Energy Sector” he presented an impressive overview of two decades of energy economics research, demonstrating the progress made and how the key topics have changed from the beginning of the energy transition to the present day.
• The third and final keynote address in the afternoon was given by Dr. Niels Ehlers from 50Hertz Transmission GmbH. Under the title “Energy Transition from Power Grid Perspective – Disruption and Long-Standing Issues”, he provided insights into the operational and structural challenges of the transmission grid in the context of the energy transition, from acute grid bottlenecks to long-term planning issues.

In a further 48 presentations, spread across four parallel sessions, the contributions offered comprehensive insights into current energy research and deepened the discussions. The breadth of topics reflected the diversity of today's energy systems research.

• Session 1: European Market Integration & Capacity Remuneration, Hydrogen Markets & Infrastructures, System Flexibility & Storage, Consumer Behavior & Tariffs

• Session 2: Energy Security & Crisis Management, Supply Reliability, Sector Coupling & New Demand, Renewable Energy Expansion & Planning

• Session 3: Market Design & Bidding Zones, Electricity Pricing & Forecasting, Renewables & Risks, Nuclear Power, Fusion & Socio-Technical Futures

• Session 4: Hydrogen Systems & International Case Studies, Carbon Removal & Transformation Pathways, Flexibility Modeling, Decentralized Systems & Industry

The slides provided for the presentations are available on the ENERDAY website, as are the program and the Book of Abstracts.

The pre-conference dinner on the eve of the conference provided an ideal setting for informal networking and personal encounters in celebration of the anniversary. The conference day concluded with a gala dinner at the Hilton Dresden near the Frauenkirche. During the gala dinner, the Best Presentation Awards were presented to the following young researchers for outstanding presentations at this year's ENERDAY. This award is jointly sponsored by the enerCONNECT e.V. association and the GEE – Society for Energy Science and Energy Policy e.V.:

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• Ulrike Pfefferer (TU Nürnberg) for the presentation “Utilization of reserve capacities in electricity markets to mitigate price spikes: Impact on national and surrounding bidding zones”
• Johannes Alois Schöttler (RWTH Aachen) for the presentation „Coal exit, gas expansion, and the energy trilemma: System implications of German energy policy”
• Camila Villarraga Diaz (Deutsches Institut für Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik) for the presentation “High‑resolution modelling of heating and cooling demand under societal and climate change scenarios: Implications for the operation of heat pumps in the German commercial sector”

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In addition to the Best Presentations Awards, the ENERWARD – the award for the best thesis at the Chair of Energy Economics – was also presented, supported by enerCONNECT e.V. Akshay Singh Yadav received the award for his master's thesis on "Generation and transmission expansion under aspects of cooperation: Insights from offshore wind integration in the Baltic region" The prize also enables him to present his thesis at ENERDAY.

The Chair of Energy Economics would like to express its sincere gratitude to all speakers and participants for their contributions to this successful anniversary event. Special thanks go to the sponsors 50Hertz Transmission GmbH and Sachsenergie, as well as to the three keynote speakers: Prof. Andreas Löschel, Prof. Hannes Weigt, and Dr. Niels Ehlers.

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