Slovenian Energy Association
International Conference – Transformations of Energy Systems in the Region
8–10 June 2025, Grand Hotel Bernardin, Portorož, Slovenia

This year’s International Conference – Transformations of Energy Systems in the Region focused on the current energy challenges facing Slovenia, Europe, and especially the broader regional context. It highlighted the role of the Slovenian Energy Association as a key connector between the professional public, industry, and policymakers.

In addition to Slovenian experts, the conference welcomed participants from Ireland, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Croatia, Serbia, Austria, Denmark, France, Hungary, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, who contributed valuable insights into the critical issues of the energy transition.

In his opening address, the president of the association, Mr. Dejan Koletnik, MSc, emphasized the urgent need to align efforts for secure and reliable energy supply with the goals of sustainable development. He highlighted the importance of innovation, new technologies, workforce development, digitalization, and especially the inclusion of young professionals in the energy sector.

Thematic content of the conference included:

• Models of energy system transformation and related analyses
• Energy and economic efficiency of technical solutions under sustainability criteria
• The impact of energy policy on technological and techno-economic approaches
• Advanced energy conversion technologies (e.g., Power-to-X)
• Hydrogen and other energy gases
• Economic models for renewable energy sources and aspects of energy resilience in relation to sustainability
• Potentials and technologies for heating, cooling, ventilation, and energy storage
• District heating and cooling, including concrete project presentations
• Heat pumps and modern systemic solutions in this field
• Stability and reliability of supply during the energy transition, with a focus on sustainability
• Advanced solar thermal projects, including those currently being implemented
• Mathematical and theoretical models, including thermal processes in modular reactors
• Regulatory aspects of energy market operations

At the roundtable, which brought together six speakers, participants discussed the importance of cross-sectoral integration in the transformation of energy systems. The discussion, actively joined by the audience, emphasized the readiness of energy companies, industry, and end-users to play an active role in the energy transition.

The roundtable unanimously highlighted the following key points:

• The lack of clear long-term visions at both the national and EU levels.
• The need for closer and more proactive sectoral cooperation and stakeholder engagement – from politics, legislation, and regulation to local communities.
• The necessity of clear, trustworthy frameworks for the transition process that encourage investment in advanced technologies and R&D, enable the establishment of effective financial support mechanisms, reduce the risk of stranded assets, and enhance Slovenia’s energy resilience.
• The urgency of developing new educational programs, the importance of dual land use, and the strengthening of supply chains

The conference clearly demonstrated that the energy transition is no longer a matter of the future, but an imperative of the present. Its successful implementation requires more than just technology. It demands vision, national direction, cross-sectoral collaboration, active regional engagement, and wise, responsible management of energy resources, raw materials, and energy itself. Integration must not rely solely on engineering approaches but must also include social sciences and societal dimensions, as public acceptance of energy infrastructure is one of the key factors for success.

The key challenges therefore call for coordinated action by experts, industry, policymakers, and society. The absence of clear long-term directions must not become an obstacle, but rather a motivation for more connected, courageous, and thoughtful steps forward.

The Slovenian Energy Association will continue to actively contribute to professional dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the development of solutions that enable a secure, reliable, and sustainable energy future — in cooperation with related professional associations in the region and beyond.