#TSEP 219 The Resilient Energy System: Security in a Changing World

Podcast Intro
“Powering Through: The Resilience of Renewables” is a
feature series of The smarter E podcast, recorded on-site at The
smarter E 2025 in Munich. Spanning six episodes, the series
highlights the critical role of resilience in the global energy
transition. It explores how electricity networks, renewable
energy companies, research institutions, and public policy
development intersect to build a more robust and sustainable
energy future.


Episode Intro
With the recent Iberian blackout still fresh in people's minds,
the resilience of Europe’s electricity system has become a
central topic in the energy sector. As solar and other renewables
scale rapidly, the conversation is shifting from how quickly we
can build to how robust and reliable our electricity
infrastructure actually is. The focus is increasingly becoming
about decentralisation, battery energy storage, and grid
stability, along with the very real risks to energy security that
we’re now confronting.


The speakers


Julian Jansen is the Growth and Market
Development Director for the EMEA region at Fluence. He has spent
his career in the clean energy sector, with a strong focus on
advancing energy storage and technology. Before joining Fluence,
Julian was an Associate Director at IHS Markit, where he led
consulting efforts on clean energy technologies and previously
managed the firm’s global energy storage team.

Michael Schreiber is Head of Flex for the German
market at Octopus Energy, where he oversees a portfolio of
customers with flexible assets including electric vehicles, heat
pumps, and home storage batteries. He also develops tailored
products for these customers. Michael brings 15 years of
expertise in energy markets, virtual power plants, product
management and holds a PhD in electrical engineering.


Host


Jonathan Gifford is the co-founder and Head of
Content at Climate Copy, a clean-energy communications agency.


Company Introductions
Fluence, founded in 2018 by Siemens and AES,
provides energy storage products and services, as well as digital
applications for renewables and storage. Its solutions support
the modernization and resilience of energy networks
worldwide.

Octopus Energy is a global clean energy
technology company. Through its retail brand, it supplies energy
to over 7 million households across 18 countries. The group also
invests in, builds, and flexibly manages renewable energy
assets.