The energy sector accounts for 75% of greenhouse gas emissions which has an existential threat on climate change and environmental degradation to Europe and the world. Decarbonisation of energy system is crucial to delivering on the European Green Deal's objective of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The research, development and implementation of electrification, energy storage application, and integrated energy systems are the essential to incorporate high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) in power grids. Our mission is to create stronger links of all kinds of energy systems across electricity, heating and cooling, gas, transportation and water, exploiting the power of citizens to contribute to energy transition, increasing the flexibility of the overall energy system, and using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. The main targets are facilitating the decarbonisation of the energy system with alternative low-carbon and resource-efficient energy coupling technologies and processes for a successful, well-coordinated clean energy transition by 2050, including large-scale electrification of energy use in the end-user sectors of transport, buildings and industries, Power-to-X cross-vector energy integration, significant energy storage technologies, and Microgrids for boosting the cross-border electrification of energy communities, rural/remote areas and islands. We envision the co-creation of innovative technical, economic and social methodologies for the delivery of future net zero energy system.

Mission Research Topics

The mission research topics cover multiple scientific disciplines (including technology, society, human, environment, economy), across different energy sectors (residential electricity consumption, transportation, industry, renewable generation, heating and cooling, storage), and different types of co-operators (companies, private/public organizations). Therefore, the cooperation of cross-disciplinary, cross-sectoral and cross-actor innovation will be encouraged to complement different application and research backgrounds for maximizing the benefits. Co-design and co-creation will involve multiple sectors and actors for accelerating ‘multi-directional’ electrification both ‘Horizontally’ between consuming sectors and ‘Vertically’ to empower distributed energy units to contribute actively to the overall balance and flexibility of the system.

EU missions:

- Climate-neutral and smart cities
- Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation

Denmark missions and roadmaps:

- Carbon capture and storage or utilization
- Green fuels for transportation and industry (Power-to-X etc.)

Faculty focus areas:

- Energy Production and Distribution
- Flexible and Efficient Energy Consumption
- Future transport and mobility
- Sustainable cities, buildings and components 

Electrification is the main driver for providing a more reliable, efficient and resilient power supply with sustainable consumption and reduction of carbon footprint. Integrated energy systems will provide more efficient, clean, sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply through new solutions by integration of other decarbonised and low-emission energy carriers. Innovative energy storage solutions (including chemical, mechanical, electrical, and thermal storage) are a key element to underpin the modernisation of the energy networks by providing the necessary flexibility to compensate for fluctuating renewable energy sources. Therefore, our abilities on electrification, storage and integrated energy systems will boost cost performance and reliability of a broad portfolio of renewable energy solutions in line with societal needs and preferences.

Large-scale electrification in future energy systems will trigger more flexible modes of operation triggered by different actors over different kinds of sector coupling. Therefore, special aspects in this mission need to be highlighted include:

1. Engagement and interaction of end users with privacy and security
2. Integration of data-driven innovations for large-scale flexibility and optimization
3. Cooperation of behind-the-meter activities and in-front-of-the-meter activities

The success of the mission requires collaboration with different stakeholders:

• End-user sectors (households, communities, transportation) for engagement of programs and projects that accelerate the electrification, improve the flexibility, and support energy transaction capability.
• NGOs and public initiatives for bridging knowledge and communication gaps, supporting compliance with the energy conscious rules. 
• Manufacturers and vendors, from those delivering turnkey solutions to those building individual components, essential to research reliable and feasible solutions for the growing customer demand, such as e-mobility, electric heat pumps, storage and renewable energy.
• Utility companies for a joint-development of solutions that improve the efficiency, support large-scale capability and value of electrification and integrated energy systems.
• District heating and cooling companies for boosting renewables in heating and cooling, utilization of waste heat potentials, co-creation for energy conversion.
• Power-to-X developers for a multi-vector energy system capable of an integrating excessive renewable power generation and reduce the impact of its intermittence.
• Grid operators like TSOs (Transmission System Operators), DSOs (Distribution System Operators) and RSC (Regional System Coordinator) for a smooth, economic and reliable integration of all energy sources.
• District government in rural areas for rural electrification, minigrids/microgrids for increasing share of renewables, microgrid clusters for large-scale deployment of renewables in rural areas while reducing CO2 emissions.
• Other research institutions with unparalleled expertise, innovations and creativity to cooperate together for accelerating the green transition. 

To accomplish:
Accelerating the clean energy transition by providing cost-effective electrification and integrated energy solutions for heating and cooling, decentralized production, storage, and elector-mobile applications. 
Boosting the integration of storage technologies for energy flexibility and arbitrage between the power and other energy sectors.
Developing reliable and sustainable electrification solutions in the energy chain of production, delivery, and their use under natural disasters.
Achieving world class and international excellence in the areas of electrification and storage as well as integrated energy system.

To influence:
The planning and operation of the energy system over multiple energy carriers, infrastructures, and consumption sectors coordinated for a more efficient, circular, and reliable energy network.
The co-creation of science-society approach to connect energy transition and climate change in a new framework, initiating the citizen-science and social innovations for the low-carbon and sustainable transition. 

The desired impact:
Full electrification of final energy demand coupled with the decarbonisation of the production of energy carriers.
The maximum cooperation of academia and industry to produce the next generation carbon neutral energy transition network by addressing contemporary issues in all aspects of sector coupling, interoperability, scalability, and sustainability. 
Accelerate expansion of the trans-European electricity grid to achieve a climate-neutral EU by 2050, while guaranteeing the energy security and reliability with high power quality.