Energy Lab Southeast - Annual Seminar

    Gain insights into the energy transition of Amsterdam Southeast and connect with several partners

    Date: Thursday March 27th, 2025
    Time: 12.00 to 18.00
    Location: De Tafelberg (Amsterdam Zuidoost)
    Adress: Tafelbergweg 8, 1105 BN, Amsterdam
    Language: mainly Dutch, partly English, at least one break-out fully English

    Reserve your spot now! Click here to register

    On Thursday March 27th, the Energy Lab Southeast will host its annual seminar in Amsterdam Southeast. The event will bring together researchers, local partners, and professionals to share and develop knowledge on the energy transition.

    Reserve Your Spot Now! Click here to register 

    Join us for an inspiring afternoon of meaningful discussion, innovative ideas, and networking in a setting that celebrates the vibrant spirit of Southeast. The seminar will feature a plenary session followed by interactive breakout sessions on key topics such as energy poverty, net congestion, heat grids, Paris-proof construction and energy justice. We aim for lively interactions between the participants, creating deeper insights into the ongoing challenges and opportunities of the energy transition. 

    Program:

    Main language will be Dutch, with some program parts in English

    • 12.00 – 12.45 | Walk-in with Lunch
      Enjoy lunch while meeting thesis students and their ongoing research projects.
    • 12.45 – 14.10 | Plenary Session
      The plenary session will begin with an introduction to the Energy Lab Southeast, featuring insights into ongoing research and key developments. Joe Llewellyn will present his latest work on Energy Poverty in Southeast.

      The plenary session will feature keynotes by experts on the energy transition:

      • Pallas Agterberg, Challenge Officer at Alliander, will share her strategic and innovative vision on local energy transition. A panel with Wendy Springer (City of Amsterdam), Ellen Nieuwebooer (city of Amterdam) and Jos van Dalen (CBREIM), moderated by Paul Voskuilen (AMS Institute),  will explore how Pallas’ vision applies to developments in South East.
      • Philip Gladek (CEO of Spectral) and Wouter Zomerdijk (TU Delft) will present key findings from LIFE ArenAPoort, exploring smart energy solutions and Digital Twin Technology.
    • 14.10 – 14.30 | Coffee Break 
    • 14.30 – 16.30 | Breakout Sessions
      After the Plenary session, we’ll move into breakout sessions where you can engage in interactive workshops on key energy transition topics. You can select your preferred breakout session when picking up your badge a the entrance. 
      • Energy poverty by Joe Llewellyn and Ase Hatveit
      • LIFE ArenAPoort by Gijs van Leeuwen, Hans Roeland Poolman and Abhigyan Singh
      • Sustainable Built Environment by Julëtte Mohamed, Richard Ruijtenbeek, and others
      • Just Energy Transition by Anna de Zeeuw, Rosa Koetsenruijter & Marianne de Koning

        Read more about the specifics of the break-outs here.
    • 16.30 – 17.00 | Reflection & Closing
      After the breakout sessions, we’ll reflect on the day’s insights, followed by two inspiring keynotes. This reflection will be supported by Buro Brand’s visualization of the breakout session harvest, providing a summary of the afternoon. John Grin, Pallas Agterberg, and moderator Henk Visser will share their perspectives on the Seminar, highlighting key themes and connections that emerged, before we move on to the final keynote.
      • Marianne de Koning, founder of De Verbindingskamer, will share her experiences with citizen-driven energy transitions in Rotterdam.
    • 17.30 | Borrel

     Check out our Seminar Shorts here to learn more about seminar contributions. 

    About the location

    We look forward to welcoming you to an engaging and thought-provoking seminar at De Tafelberg. De Tafelberg in Amsterdam-Zuidoost is a vibrant community that combines living, learning, working, and relaxation. It houses 290 young residents, including students, young professionals, and those needing some guidance, alongside social entrepreneurs. The shared spaces foster interaction and community engagement, and the facilities are also open to residents of the Amstel III area. We chose De Tafelberg for its vibrant, diverse community and its focus on collaboration and making a change, making it the ideal setting for an event centred around innovation and the future of energy.

    Detailed information about the Speakers and Break-out Sessions of the Seminar Program

    Keynote speakers

    The plenary session will also feature a panel talk with several key partners, who will look back on the progress of Energy Lab South East over the years. 

    Pallas Agterberg, Challenge Officer at Alliander working on strategic and innovation challenges in the energy transition. A true thought leader, Pallas, will share her groundbreaking ideas about the energy transition on neighborhood level. She is also Chair of One Planet Research Food and Health, Chair of supervisory board MVO-NL, future research of technology, and member of advisory boards for research and development for digitisation, circularity and transforming cities. 

    Marianne de Koning, De Verbindingskamer. Marianne is a social entrepreneur in Rotterdam, widely known for her approach to citizen engagement in the local energy transition. De Verbindingskamer works from the bottom up and translates practice into policy and vice versa. It strengthens the informal network (residents) and connects it to the formal network (professionals). 

    Philip Gladek, founder and CEO at Spectral, key partner in LIFE ArenAPoort, for software development. Spectral specializes in system integration within the smart energy domain. Spectral develops both hardware and software products for energy management, energy storage, and smart-grids, harnessing the capabilities of cutting-edge technology to deliver tailored solutions for energy utilities and industry leaders across various sectors. 

    Wouter Zomerdijk, a PhD candidate at TU Delft, is one of the confirmed keynote speakers. Wouter Zomerdijk is working on Medium-term Energy Planning through the LIFE ArenAPoort project. His focus is on creating a Digital Twin (DT) for Bijlmer Noord to help optimize energy strategies and balance electricity and heat demands. 

    Avi Ganesan, a Project Manager of Energy System Innovation from Resourcefully. As an analyst and manager, Avi Ganesan has experience with projects in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and smart storage. He also helped Dutch municipalities manage smart grid innovation projects. 

    Paul Voskuilen, Program Developer Urban Energy Systems at AMS Institute will provide insights into his work on the potential of residual heat within the Amsterdam South East area and also moderate the panel discussion after Pallas her keynote. 

    Breakout sessions

    After the Plenary session, we’ll move into breakout sessions, where you can engage in interactive workshops with the following topics 

    • Energy Poverty by Joe Llewellyn 

    Joe Llewellyn, PhD Candidate and Research Fellow at the AMS Institute and MIT’s Senseable Amsterdam Lab, will lead a breakout session on energy poverty policy. The session will explore the effectiveness of different interventions, from short-term energy allowances to long-term retrofits, in addressing energy poverty while supporting broader sustainability goals. Participants will engage with an AI-driven policy prediction model to assess current strategies, explore AI’s role in future policymaking, and identify areas in the Netherlands where interventions can be applied. 


    • LIFE ArenAPoort by Gijs van Leeuwen, Hans Roeland Poolman, Abhigyan Singh, Andro Bottse 

    The LIFE ArenAPoort Living Lab breakout session will explore solutions for achieving energy neutrality in Amsterdam South East by 2040. The session will focus on a district-scale energy management platform that balances grid efficiency with stakeholder involvement, including a local energy trading platform and prosumer-driven market. Participants will discuss how these strategies can be scaled to other urban areas. 


    • Sustainable Built Environment by Juliëtte Mohamed, Richard Ruijtenbeek and others 

    The Living Lab Sustainable Built Environment breakout session will focus on possible renovation strategies in Amsterdam South East, aimed at improving the sustainability of housing and indoor climate quality. Participants will explore the challenges and opportunities of retrofitting existing housing, by discussing innovative renovation approaches. Participants will discuss how to balance technical solutions with social needs at both the building and neighborhood levels while exploring ways to integrate sustainable practices into everyday living for a more inclusive energy transition. 


    • Just Energy Transition by Just Prepared (Anna de Zeeuw and Rosa Koetsenruijter) 

    The Just Prepare breakout session will focus on creating a fair and effective energy transition in vulnerable neighborhoods by addressing gaps in knowledge about diverse household energy practices and resident engagement in renovations. The Living Lab JUST PREPARE works across four municipalities to develop, test, and refine solutions with local governments, housing corporations, and residents. Participants of this breakout session will explore methods for inclusive energy transition planning, discuss real-world case studies, and how these insights can be applied to Amsterdam South East. This session is about shaping equitable and community-driven energy policies.