Plug into the future with “Watt’s up with energy?”

Your bi-weekly backstage pass to trends and tech shaping the smart energy world. This podcast unpacks buzzworthy innovations with top experts, offering insights into today’s energy solutions and what’s sparking next.

Podcast

Episode 30

32 mins

July 22, 2025

Smarter energy pricing: Tariff design with Preisenergie

Preisenergie’s Siegfried Numberger explains why smarter tariff design is key to modernizing energy pricing. Discover how dynamic tariffs, automation and fair access can reshape how consumers interact with electricity – making it cheaper, cleaner and more responsive to real-time conditions.

Balancing markets 101: How energy stays reliable in real time

Irene Guerra Gil is back! This time, she unpacks how balancing markets keep the grid stable in real time – beyond wholesale trading. From FCR and aFRR to VPPs and AI-driven trading, she explores the tools shaping a fast, flexible energy system. Irene also tackles regulatory barriers for small assets, DSO-TSO coordination and why Europe is watching Australia and the US on faster settlement and demand response.

How do renewables reshape wholesale electricity markets?

Energy Market Expert Irene Guerra Gil unpacks the fast-paced world of wholesale electricity markets. From renewable integration to price swings and trading quirks, this episode sheds light on how Europe is adapting its power systems to a greener future. Tune in for market insights, laughs and a few surprising analogies.

Set it and save: Dynamic tariffs with Rabot Energy

Jan Rabe, CEO of Rabot Energy, unpacks the promise of dynamic electricity tariffs. Learn how smart pricing models can drive demand-side flexibility, cut costs for consumers and enable a greener grid.

From legacy to flexibility: Why HEMS is the future of utilities

Andrea Albergoni explores how utilities can remain competitive in an increasingly decentralized energy landscape. He dives into the role of home energy management systems (HEMS) in enabling grid flexibility, complying with evolving regulations and delivering smarter, customer-centric services across Europe.

Time of use: The price is right, if you time it right

Jonas Finkele, Go-to-Market Manager at gridX, shares insights on the commercial side of time of use tariffs, from market adoption to future opportunities and challenges – plus which Harry Potter characters are for and against the energy transition (spoiler: it’s not Voldemort!).

Wholesalers and installers: Watt’s up with Densys pv5?

What's the secret to making solar installation easier for installers? Steffen Binzel from Densys pv5 explains how holistic solutions, regulatory support and digital tools help installers save time and make smarter decisions in the complex German solar market.

More episodes

Watt's up with Tibber's Merlin Lauenburg

What do real-time electricity prices and renewable energy have in common? In this episode, Tibber Managing Director Merlin Lauenberg explains how dynamic hourly tariffs help consumers shift electricity consumption to cheaper times. He clarifies the difference between dynamic tariffs and time of use models and tells how users can gain control over their consumption and costs.

The future is timed: Time of use & dynamic tariffs explained

What does Germany’s smart meter rollout have to do with Jon Snow? In this episode, Christian Augustin breaks down dynamic tariffs – how they work, why they matter and how they’re changing the way we use energy.

EnWG 2.0: Diving deeper into Germany’s energy reforms (German)

This episode of Watt's up with energy? follows on from the previous episode on §9 EEG. Marco and Carsten show how smart energy management systems, digital innovations and new regulatory changes are helping PV system owners to maximize their self-consumption, reduce costs and open up new revenue streams.

What is the EnWG Novelle? (German)

In this special German language episode, energy experts Marco Rues and Carsten Schäfer break down the EnWG Novelle. From digital grid connection points to new feed-in limits, they unpack how updates – especially Paragraph 9 EEG – aim to keep the grid stable as PV adoption soars.

§14a: The airbag of energy

What do airbags and energy grids have in common? Theben Smart Energy’s Head of Sales, Tina Hadler, tells us, plus the role of smart meters and how grid stability depends on demand-side flexibility.

Watt’s up with PPC?: Make software, not hardware

PPC founder Ingo Schönberg break down Germany’s energy shift – smart meter gateways, Paragraph 14a and the power of digitalization. Flexibility, collaboration and a “software over hardware” approach are shaping the future of renewables, e-mobility and heat pumps.

Paragraph 14a: The hero of the energy transition?

Nicolai Stickler dives deeper into Paragraph 14a – Germany’s push for a smarter, more flexible grid. From smart meters to dynamic grid fees, explore the challenges, opportunities and impact on the future of the energy system.

What is Paragraph 14a? The German regulation shaking up energy systems

We're kicking off 2025 with a close look at Paragraph 14a, Germany’s latest push for grid stability and smarter energy use. Nicolai Stickler breaks down how this regulation drives EVs, heat pumps and EMS adoption.

Taking HEMS from startup to scale-up

Baptiste Feron and Robert Fritzsche share their journey of scaling a home energy management system – from startup to scale-up. They dive into the technical and regulatory challenges of building a flexible EMS, the power of hardware partnerships and staying mission-driven in the energy transition.

Watt’s up with Soly?

Thijmen van Nijnanten from Soly shares how the company evolved from solar provider to full-scale energy solutions leader. From expanding into new markets to dynamic tariffs and homeowner empowerment, discover what’s shaping the future of energy management.

Looking ahead: What HEMS has in store

Robert van der Meulen, gridX Head of Growth Services, shares how HEMS is evolving – from smart meter integration to virtual power plants – revealing the future of home energy systems.

Navigating European markets and regulatory changes with HEMS

Robert van der Meulen, gridX Head of Growth Services, uncovers how HEMS adapts to Europe – from Germany’s PV boom to smart-grid rollout in the Nordics under shifting regulation.

How home energy management systems unleash efficiency

Discover how a cutting-edge HEMS streamlines energy use – automatic optimization, cost savings and smoother grid interaction – brought to you by gridX energy experts.

Unlock the power of interoperability with Daniel Makohin

Discover how interoperability empowers HEMS to connect diverse systems – from solar to EV chargers – unlocking smarter, seamless home energy control.

Watt’s up with EEBUS: Interoperability and smart grids

Annike Abromeit from EEBUS explains how the EEBUS standard connects solar, EV chargers & home appliances to build truly smart grids – and why interoperability is vital.

Watt’s up with Sungrow: PV inverters and solar energy

Eleonora Potestio of Sungrow reveals how next-gen PV inverters are boosting solar adoption across Europe – making systems smarter, cleaner and more efficient.

Ready for interoperability?

Tim Steinmetz returns to discuss what’s next for interoperability – from smart homes and battery storage to grid integration and the emotional future of energy tech.

The bread and butter of energy management

gridX CGO Tim Steinmetz returns to explore what interoperability really means for energy – how it's being embraced across Europe, why it's essential and what teamwork has to do with it.

Why clean energy systems must be interoperable

gridX CGO and Co-Managing Director Tim Steinmetz joins host Georgia Knapp to unpack the foundations of interoperability, the rise of prosumers and how energy systems can be smarter – if they learn to speak the same language.

Watt’s up with Electric Felix?

EV influencer Felix Hammer – aka Electric Felix – joins the podcast to talk chargers, road trips and why energy infrastructure needs to catch up with EV ambition.

Looking ahead at European charging infrastructure

gridX Solution Engineer Lars breaks down the biggest EV charging challenges – from grid overload to payment confusion – and how smart energy systems can solve them.

Europe's charging infrastructure: Current capacity

gridX Solution Engineer Lars Rheinemann breaks down the state of EV charging in Europe – from rural gaps and AC/DC charger growth to why shared infrastructure matters.

Unpacking the basics of EV charging infrastructure

In this debut episode, gridX Solution Engineer Lars Rheinemann joins host Georgia Knapp to unpack the basics of EV charging infrastructure – what it is, why it matters and how it can support a more resilient, renewable-powered grid.

About your host

After a successful career in theater and education, Georgia Knapp pivoted to the energy sector, channeling her creativity into the clean energy transition. As Senior Content Manager at gridX, she brings the human story behind clean tech and energy management to life. On ‘Watt’s up with energy?’, Georgia dives into the dynamic world of energy technology and the transition to a more sustainable future. She speaks with a diverse range of guests – from gridX experts and seasoned energy professionals to policymakers, influencers and fellow newcomers – making complex topics accessible and engaging for listeners at every level of expertise.