For a successful, accelerated energy transition, researchers have to further develop relevant technologies and test their application. Not only that, they also need to link them together and continuously adapt them to the needs of users. Various speakers at the Energy Days described the key areas that are important here from their perspective.

The Mission Energy System 2045 focuses on the interrelationships in the energy system, such as the interaction between the electricity, heating and transport sectors. Carsten Beier from the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology describes what this can look like in an individual neighbourhood: "We need to move away from isolated individual solutions and bring the various local players together. A good example is integrated neighbourhood planning: here, the energy requirements of buildings, heating networks, private transport and solutions for the electricity distribution network are considered and implemented together, i.e. systemically."

The examples of electric cars and heat pumps show how electrification is progressing in the mobility and heating sector. A higher demand for electricity and an increasing number of decentralised, renewable energy systems pose challenges for the future electricity system, which are addressed by the mission Electricity Transition 2045. "The digital networking of decentralised supply systems plays an important role here. If they are controlled intelligently, this makes an important contribution to a secure and sustainable energy system," says Joel Schölzel from RWTH Aachen University. The FlexQuartier project shows what this can look like in practice. An energy-efficient, grid-friendly new-build neighbourhood is being created here. Its centrepiece is a hybrid storage unit that can store and reconvert heat up to 1200 Celsius.

One of the goals of the Future IQ project is to supply two existing neighbourhoods with low-CO2 heat. "We are looking at the entire neighbourhood, using existing technology and rewiring it. We are also involving the residents," explains Dr Tobias Reiners from EnergieServicePlus GmbH. Decarbonising the heating and cooling supply in buildings and neighbourhoods, as well as in industry and commerce, is an important goal of mission Heat Transition 2045, which aims to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral and efficient cooling and heating supply.

"The mission Transfer acts as a kind of cross-link between the other missions. It's not just about accelerating or investigating a specific part of the energy transition, but also ensuring the transfer of practical experience and providing impetus in practice," says Dr Julika Weiß from the Institute for Ecological Economy Research. A particular focus of the BMWK's project funding in the Transfer mission is to ensure that innovations quickly become marketable new business models, products and services. The DELTA living lab for the energy transition aims to achieve this with an energy data analysis platform that is being developed by project partner and start-up etalytics.