The Energy Conference Where Tomorrow’s Solutions Meet Real Commitment

It was a full house when Glava Energy Center hosted the 2025 Energy Conference in early June. The spotlight was on tomorrow’s energy solutions – brought forward by insightful experts and innovators, vibrant discussions, and concrete examples. From grid capacity and flexibility to energy communities and innovation – with the inauguration of the Solbron testbed as one of the highlights.

The day kicked off with a powerful keynote by Sonja Berlijn, Director at DNV Norway and Professor of Secure Power Systems at the University of Oslo. Under the title “We don’t need to wait 10 years for change”, she addressed the key bottleneck in the energy transition: the limited capacity of the existing power grids.

– How do we get out of this grid-lock? Either by building new capacity – or by using the grid we already have in a smarter way. I’m convinced we can unlock 10–50 percent more grid capacity. Whatever the result, it would mean enormous cost savings, said Sonja Berlijn.

She presented the Norwegian project MaksGrid, a €2.5 million initiative aiming to increase grid utilization by up to 25%, while reducing emissions – both in Norway and globally.

A Conference Format That Builds Relationships

Held in a sun-drenched Hillringsberg, the conference offered a format of short, sharp insights from knowledgeable experts – along with generous time for conversations. Discussions continued both in the bright Smedjan conference space and outdoors by Lake Glafsfjorden.

Magnus Nilsson, CEO of Glava Energy Center, highlighted how dialogue, collaboration and co-creation have been central to the center’s mission since it was founded in 2009.

– Then as now, our ambition is to be a warm and welcoming arena for dialogue, innovation, learning and testing in the field of renewable energy, said Magnus Nilsson.

– This place and this format truly encourage conversation and connection – and that’s what makes this conference stand out, added Sonja Berlijn.

Solbron – From Glava to the Sahara

A concrete example of the “Glava spirit” was the ceremonial inauguration of Solbron, a spectacular new testbed from H2S2+Bm Concept.

– Glava Energy Center truly enables an entrepreneurial community! Choosing to build our test facility here turned out to be ten times better than we first imagined, said Magnus Pousette, CEO and founder of H2S2+Bm Concept.

Solbron is a suspended solar installation forming the foundation of the company’s vision: a massive solar-powered industrial park on the edge of the Sahara. Emma Spak, County Director of Värmland, participated in the inauguration and connected Glava’s innovation work to a broader context:

– Värmland’s regional vision is ‘A sustainable Värmland that changes the world’ – and this is a great example of how a local test environment in Glava can contribute to global climate transition, said Emma Spak.

Knowledge – A Key to Faster Transition

Sonja Berlijn’s message – that the energy transition is possible already today – set the tone for the rest of the conference. Several speakers presented solutions for a more flexible and sustainable energy system.

Mats Karlström from Sweden’s Energy Communities emphasized the importance of local collaboration and energy sharing. David Landmark, Key Account Manager at Ellevio, shared insights from a flexibility market in Stockholm. Susanne Stjernfeldt from Energiforsk joined in launching Glava Energy Center’s new step-by-step guide for grid flexibility – aimed at grid operators and developed in partnership with Energiforsk.

Elias Hartvigsson from Endre Tech demonstrated how data analysis can help grid companies and industries make smarter decisions. He also stressed the critical role of education:

– Most stakeholders – from energy companies to industry – are willing to change, but we need to move faster. And to do that, we need more knowledge and education. It’s essential if we’re to move forward, said Elias Hartvigsson, CTO and co-founder of Endre.

Partners and Funders

The Energy Conference is part of a series of projects run by Glava Energy Center in collaboration with Karlstad University, co-funded by:

• European Regional Development Fund
• Interreg Sweden–Norway
• Swedish Energy Agency
• Vinnova
• Region Värmland

Ongoing projects behind the 2025 conference:

• GränsEnergi – advancing energy communities in the Sweden–Norway border region
• LOKEN – strengthening local energy planning and innovation in Värmland
• Innovationskluster – linking more industry sectors to Glava Energy Center
• RedigitiZE – supporting industrial electrification through advanced digitalization

Read more about our projects.

Image captions:

• Networking between Sara Larsson (CheckWatt) and Mats Karlström (Sweden’s Energy Communities)
• Portrait of keynote speaker Sonja Berlijn, Director at DNV and Professor at the University of Oslo
• Sunny conversations between Susanne Stjernfeldt (Energiforsk) and Elin Richardsson (Elmia Solar)
• Fika with a view during the Energy Conference 2025 at Hillringsberg, Glava
• Emma Spak (County Director), Tommy Strömberg (Chairman, Glava Energy Center), Magnus Pousette (H2S2+Bm Concept), and Magnus Nilsson (CEO, Glava Energy Center) at the inauguration of the Solbron testbed
• Conference participants gathered at the inauguration of Solbron
• Fresh brochures from Glava Energy Center highlighting smart energy solutions and grid flexibility