IFA 2022: German electrical associations all about sustainability

After a two-year break due to the pandemic, the Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies (VDE), the Central Association of German Electrical and Information Technology Trades (ZVEH) and the Association of the Electrical and Digital Industry (ZVEI) are back together in Berlin. The joint booth at IFA Next (Hall 20) will focus on the topics of "energy efficiency" and "sustainability".

The pressure to switch from fossil fuels to renewables has increased once again as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war. Gas and oil are passé as heat suppliers; the future belongs to electric solutions based on green electricity, such as heat pumps and photovoltaic (PV) systems. With the shift to an all-electric society, the building is also becoming more of a focal point: This is where all the important threads will come together in the future in the course of the energy transition: In the building, energy is no longer just consumed, but also generated and stored. This is helped by PV systems, battery storage and heat pumps, but also smart applications, integrated energy management and e-vehicles that can simultaneously serve as storage via bidirectional charging. The building thus represents the backbone of the energy transition. After all, electrification, digitization and the use of smart technologies alone can reduce energy consumption in the building sector by around 65 percent.

This year, the joint booth of VDE, ZVEH and ZVEI will present various facets of energy efficiency and sustainability on 225 square meters. The spectrum ranges from the sustainable use of consumer products to smart building technologies and their safety and efficiency. With edutainment elements and real hands-on technology in the E-House, visitors learn more about the possibilities of using energy and electricity efficiently while increasing comfort. 

The ZVEH's 100-square-meter walk-in "House of Smart Living" shows how smart technology can help make a house largely energy self-sufficient and climate-neutral, as well as safer, more comfortable and more age-appropriate. The technologies installed in the house - applications and functions from a wide range of manufacturers can be seen here - are not dreams of the future, but are all already available on the market. For example, a cross-building energy management system linked with artificial intelligence (AI), into which the photovoltaic system, charging station for the e-car and battery storage are integrated, demonstrates how self-produced electricity can be used as efficiently as possible. Another focus of the 100-square-meter walk-in house this year is "Smart Health." On display, for example, are a floor that registers falls or a breathing air measurement for diabetes patients, both of which are linked to an emergency call function.

This year, three cooperation partners - the German TV Platform, the BMWK-funded ForeSight research project and the Smart Living business initiative - will also be presenting trends and solutions for first-class TV experiences and intelligent living.

"We can all play a part in the energy transition. The e-industry has the tools and the know-how to make buildings more energy efficient and even energy self-sufficient. At the IFA, we can vividly communicate what options are available and thus promote smart building technologies," says ZVEH CEO Ingolf Jakobi.

VDE CEO Ansgar Hinz: "Consumers benefit enormously from the many new climate-efficient solutions and innovative products that make life easier and more sustainable. We see it as our task to ensure safety and high quality standards in the process."

Wolfgang Weber, Chairman of the ZVEI Executive Board: "Sustainability and the efficient use of resources is a megatrend - and not just at IFA. This was also shown by a ZVEI consumer survey, in which a quarter of respondents said that they had repairs carried out on electronic devices in the home for environmental and sustainability reasons, or carried them out themselves. With its innovations, the electrical and digital industry is taking this important development into account."