Sustainable & secure energy management

Module 1: General Legal, Societal & Sustainable Framework

1.1. setting the scene (9 October 2025- Odisee Gent)

Welcome and practical information by Jean-Marc Timmermans (Agoria) & Bram Rotthier (Odisee) 

• Legal, Societal & Sustainable Perspectives: From Green Deal to Clean Industrial Deal
  
  The European Commission has set the challenging ambition to become the first climate neutral continent by 2050. Meanwhile, soaring energy prices and the recent geopolitical situation created a new reality with a negative impact on EU competitiveness as well as the speed of the decarbonization projects. The European Commission published recently the Clean Industrial Deal with the affordable energy action plan in order to restore competitiveness in Europe. But will this long list of actions restore really the level playing field and how will this affect your future energy strategy? During this session you will gain insight into the future policy and potential impact on the energy market. 
  
  Lecturer: ir. Patrick Van Den Bossche: Strategic Advisor Green Transition Agoria
  
  
• Technological & Infrastructural Implications and Solutions
  
  Building on the EU’s decarbonization objectives, this session explores the concrete implications for Belgian companies and the technological solutions available to support their production processes and operational activities. The rapidly changing energy market requires businesses to adapt their strategies, not only to reduce carbon emissions but also to make their investments and assets part of an increasingly interconnected energy system. This includes responding to the challenges of intermittent renewable energy generation and the growing demand for flexibility services.
  We will provide an overview of possible solutions and innovations that enable enterprises to optimize energy use, integrate renewable sources, and actively participate in smart grid ecosystems. Special attention will be given to the role of digitalization and connected assets, which, while unlocking efficiency gains and new business models, also increase exposure to vulnerabilities and cyber threats. The session will therefore also address how emerging technologies, and best practices can mitigate risks and ensure the resilience of energy management systems in this new industrial context.
  
  Lecturer: dr. ir. Jean-Marc Timmermans, Senior Business Group Leader at Agoria  
  Lecturer: ing. Bram Rotthier, head of Department Energy Technology at Odisee University of applied sciences 
  
  
• Economic Perspectives
  Why Energy Management? The era of stable and low energy prices is far behind us. In just a few years’ time, energy markets turned into a previously unseen rollercoaster: from peaking prices that marked the energy crisis to solar overproduction driving prices sub-zero.  It makes businesses wonder: What will the future bring? How to deal with this new reality of increased volatility and how to mitigate risks linked to energy procurement, a vital component for many businesses? The answer may be Energy Management, yet the key driver will lay in the Economics of it. In this session we will dive into the details of the Energy Markets, the different value streams, what to expect in terms of benefits and how to measure results for state-of-the-art Energy Management.
  
  Lecturer: Dries Bols (CEO at LIFEPOWR)

1.2. visit EnergyVille (16 October 2025 - Thorpark Genk)

EnergyVillle unites the Belgian research partners KU Leuven, VITO, imec and UHasselt for pioneering research on sustainable energy and intelligent energy systems.  

This session will start by introducing the EU pathway for the energy transition. It is based on three pillars (less greenhouse gas emissions, more renewables and more energy efficiency). 

One of its important implications on the energy system is the increased use of electricity (due to the electrification of energy services), which leads to challenges in electricity use, planning and operations. It highlights the need for flexibility and increases the role of demand response in the grid balance.  

This electrification (also of industry) offers opportunities for companies to contribute to and benefit from this energy transition. Fluctuating prices on different energy and ancillary service markets allows companies that are able to change their electricity demand to offer flexibility, leading to financial benefits. Flexibiity characterisation and energy management systems are key for this.

Finally, we 'll introduce how EnergyVillle and KU Leuven help to shape this energy transition and focus on a number of key research lines and their integrated lab environment. 

Lecturer: Geert Deconinck (smart grid professor at KU Leuven and EnergyVille) 

Module 2: Flexibility

2.1. Understanding Energy Flexibility (6 November 2025 - Odisee Gent)

• Technical point of view
  
  As the global energy landscape shifts toward renewable energy sources, energy flexibility emerges as a critical technical enabler for this transition. Variable generation from wind and solar introduces significant intermittency, challenging the stability and reliability of our traditional power systems. Energy flexibility, the ability to dynamically balance supply and demand, is essential to mitigate these fluctuations. Technological solutions such as demand response, energy storage, and sector coupling enhance this capability across various time scales. Electrification of transport and heating also offers new flexible loads. Integrated system design and control strategies must evolve to leverage these resources effectively. This session will explore the technical underpinnings, challenges, and innovations driving energy flexibility.
  
  Lecturer: Thomas Van Maerhem (lecturer in energy technology at Odisee)
  
  
• Economical point of view (dynamic pricing)
  
  By 2026 renewable energy is expected to become the largest power source by volume, according to the IEA. This is excellent news since renewables offer a much smaller lifetime carbon footprint in comparison to fossil-fuel based generation technologies.  However, renewables - however cheap to install - do induce a cost to the overall power system, related to their intermittent nature of availability.  More renewables connected to a power grid introduce weather risk tied to their output that needs to be countered in order to ensure system stability.  In recent years, increased adaptation of storage technologies, notably batteries have evolved to provide for an increasingly attractive answer to the question of system stability in the presence of substantial renewables in the power mix.  We look at the various types of storage in this session, as well as the markets these can be embedded into and the prerequisites to trigger a further decarbonisation of the power system where storage and renewables go hand in hand.
  
  Lecturer: Michel Verschuere (Owner & Managing Director at Yuso)

2.2. visit Ruien Kluisbergen by Yuso (13 November 2025 - Kluisbergen)

• We visit a former power station.  There you can see the 25 MW and 100 MWh battery (BESS). We will walk around the technical installation, where Michel Verschuere will provide explanations (access to the site is only possible with protective equipment due to high voltage) and leave for the headquarters of YUSO afterwards.
  
  Lecturer: Michel Verschuere (Owner and Managing Director Yuso)

Module 3: Overview Energy Monitoring Systems

3.1. Overview Energy Monitoring Systems (4 December 2025 – Odisee Gent)

Energy Monitoring Systems (EMS) are essential tools in modern energy management, enabling real-time tracking, analysis, and visualization of energy consumption across various assets. In this session, participants explore the core components and architecture of EMS, including sensors, data acquisition devices, and communication protocols that work together to collect and process energy data. The course explains how this data is transformed into actionable insights via dashboards and analytics platforms, supporting manual decision-making aimed at improving energy efficiency, identifying flexibility opportunities, reducing costs, and achieving sustainability goals. Special attention is given to system scalability, integration with renewable energy sources, and the role of smart technologies in industrial, commercial, and residential contexts.

Lecturer: still to be announced.

3.2. Visit Emaze (11 December 2025)

More information will follow soon.

Module 4: AI & Energy Management Systems

4.1. how to implement Energy Management Systems and the impact of AI (22 January 2026 - Odisee gent)

• Overview of Energy Management Systems (algorithms, protocols and sensors)

Volatile prices, rapid electrification, and the rise of decentralized generation mean that energy management can no longer rely on contracts and efficiency alone. Enterprises now require advanced Energy Management Systems (EMS) to transform data into real-time, actionable and automated decisions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a central role in this evolution: enabling forecasting, automating optimization, and unlocking flexibility across assets such as batteries, cooling, and cogeneration.

This session explores the architecture of modern EMS and demonstrates how AI-driven energy management delivers measurable benefits.

Lecturer: Thomas Vyncke (Co-founder Companion)

• Practical implementation and benefit of AI in Energy Management Systems

More information will follow soon.

4.2. Visit (29 January 2026 - Wintercircus Gent)

Module 5: Energy Risk Management Strategy

5.1. Energy Risk Management Strategy (12 February 2026 - Odisee Gent)

How to determine, assess and prioritise risk associated with uncertainty in energy markets.

More information will follow soon.

5.2. Visit Agfa Gevaert  (26 February 2026 - Mortsel)

In an ever more complex energy environment, diversification of energy assets and energy contracts is essential to lower the energy cost. Agfa Gevaert is running its operations on heat at multiple temperature levels with various assets on different energy vectors. This will be explained and demonstrated during the company visit. PowerPulse will subsequently dive into the options of energy contracts and flexibility to derisk the uncertainty in the energy markets even further.

Lecturer: Jan Gilot (Techno-economic energy expert at PowerPulse)

Module 6: Cybersecurity

6.1. General overview of risks and cyberattacks (12 March 2026 - Odisee Gent)

• Cyber challenges in a rapidly evolving digital world

Over the past thirty years, society has undergone a rapid digital transformation. Increasingly, services, utilities, and critical infrastructure are connected through the internet. Machines are taking over human tasks, e-commerce is thriving, and smart devices have found their way into our living rooms.  This digital progress brings not only benefits but also new risks. It attracts individuals and organizations with less noble intentions. Cybercrime, digital espionage, and technological vulnerabilities pose serious threats. In this session, we will examine the possibilities and limitations of current technology. We will also explore the major challenges that lie ahead in the coming decade.

Lecturer: Vincent Naessens - KU Leuven

• Cybersecurity in the Energy sector: Risks & Solutions

In this session, we link the risks from the energy market (supply disruptions, etc., see module 5) to cybersecurity vulnerabilities (including the use/misuse of access to remote devices, open communication between devices on a site, etc.). You will also be presented with a number of practical case studies from sites to learn how to assess these cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Simple frameworks will be explained to teach you how to evaluate systems and configurations, including NIST CSF/CyFun and other valuable knowledge.

Lecturer: Vincent Haerinck (Toreon)

6.2. Closing Network Event Agoria (26 March 2026 - Amber Building Diegem)