| | JULY - AUGUST 202519CXO INSIGHTSAlexander Vogt, Head of Metering Services at LichtBlick SE, has been a driving force in advancing energy solutions for homeowners. Through his strategic insight and expertise in environmental matters, he leads initiatives that reshape the energy landscape, forging new paths for venture development.In an interview with Energy Tech Review Europe, Vogt shares their valuable insights into adopting new technologies and innovations to transform the energy sector, with a strong focus on sustainability and efficiency.LEADING INNOVATION IN RENEWABLE ENERGYAlexander Vogt, Head of Metering Services, LichtBlick SECan you provide a brief overview of your professional background and career progression in the industry?My background is in mechatronics engineering and I have always been interested in sustainability and energy-based solutions. I started my career in the home appliance industry, where I worked on connecting home appliances to the internet. One of the use cases I worked on involved controlling a washing machines using solar roof energy production. My expertise lies in smart home and IoT.Later, I shifted to the energy industry and held positions in the venturing and innovation space. I worked with start-ups, scouting for new solutions and emerging technologies for the B2B building sector, focusing on energy management in commercial buildings. Since joining LichtBlick two years ago, I have led the energy as a service business unit. I combined my experience in buildings and IoT to develop smart energy solutions for homeowners in the form of home energy management services. What challenges do you encounter when implementing renewable energy in businesses? One of the most significant challenges we face is the digitization of power appliances. The systems we use in our buildings, whether commercial or residential, are often not smart or interconnected, limiting energy efficiency and sharing opportunities. This creates a significant gap, mainly in the building sector, where outdated energy supplies like gas heating are still common. Achieving climate neutrality requires extensive integration of renewable and intelligent energy solutions across buildings, a journey crucial in Europe, especially in Germany.Which industry trends are you most excited about and would like to incorporate into your practice?We are targeting our energy­as-a-service business towards homeowners in Germany. One major challenge we face is the untapped potential within approximately 16 million homes. Out of these, 11 million homes have the potential for solar roofs, but according to our prosumer index research, only 2 million of them have applied for it, indicating a long way to go in equipping homes with solar roofs.A crucial aspect of our initiative is our focus on integrated and smart energy solutions that cater to the evolving needs and demands of our customers. By integrating these, we can transform homeowners into prosumers -- individuals who both produce and consume energy -- enabling improved energy efficiency.Our energy as a service business offers home energy batteries that can be effortlessly integrated into the grid, offering flexibility with energy production, which we call the flex potential. It is important to note that the trend is driven by the demands of our customers as well as regulations such as the EU's initiative about energy-sharing communities.
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