Enlit Europe 2025 brought together more than 15,000 energy professionals, 700+ exhibitors, and 500+ speakers for one of the most influential annual gatherings in the sector. Held from 18–20 November 2025 at the Bilbao Exhibition Centre in Spain, the event served as a major meeting point for innovators, policymakers, researchers, utilities, and technology developers collaboratively shaping Europe’s clean energy future.
This year, InterPED proudly joined the EU Projects Zone, contributing to the joint booth “Flexible Solutions Empowering Citizens” alongside ten Horizon Europe projects:
ASCEND, BEST-Storage, BuildON, ECHO, FEDECOM, HARMONISE, HYSTORE, NEUTRALPATH, oPEN Lab, and ThumbsUp.
A Joint Booth Dedicated to Citizen Empowerment
The joint booth highlighted interoperable technologies enabling flexibility, energy optimisation, and greater citizen participation in decentralised energy systems, each project bringing forward unique research, digital tools, pilot sites, and community-driven approaches.
The booth also featured an Innovation Map, where all participating projects marked the locations of their pilot sites across Europe, illustrating the growing ecosystem of real-world energy transition demonstrations.
Showcasing InterPED’s Vision
Throughout the event, InterPED partners engaged with stakeholders across the energy ecosystem, discussing:
- Integration of renewable energy sources at district scale
- Role of flexibility in Positive Energy Districts
- Interoperability challenges and opportunities
- Citizen co-creation and community participation
- Digital tools supporting PED planning, forecasting, and optimisation
InterPED’s Panel Contribution: Citizen-Centric PEDs
On 20 November at 10:00, InterPED’s representative Lorena Sánchez Relaño (R2M Solution) delivered a panel presentation titled “The Role of Citizens as Key Enablers of Positive Energy Districts”.
Her talk emphasised:
- The need for structured, layered communication of PED concepts
- The importance of citizen empowerment, transparency, and co-creation
- Lessons from InterPED’s participatory design workshops
- How communities can drive long-term PED success
Her talk was followed by a roundtable debate on “Engagement and Governance in Community-Driven Districts”. Lorena joined experts from all joint-booth projects exchanging diverse perspectives on governance models, digital tools, citizen engagement strategies, flexibility services, and scaling district-level solutions.
Collaboration Across Projects
Enlit offered a unique opportunity to reinforce collaboration among European PED and energy-flexibility projects. InterPED partners were also involved through other Horizon Europe initiatives they represent, creating a rich network of connections at the booth and across the exhibition floor.
A Look Back and Ahead
Enlit Europe 2025 was a powerful reminder that Europe’s energy transition is as much a social transformation as it is a technological one. InterPED’s presence helped amplify the message that
“Positive Energy Districts succeed when citizens are placed at the centre — Informed, Engaged, and Empowered.”
We thank everyone who visited our booth, attended our sessions, or connected with us during the event.
InterPED looks forward to continuing its mission across Europe, together with its pilot communities and project partners.