Multipower Smartgrids, Europe's Industry booster

"The grids built in the 1950s and 1960s were designed for power to effectively be poured in at the top -- big central generation. This power then went through transmissions systems and then smaller wires for distribution to the home," Botting told CNN.

Instead of energy just being pumped one-way down wires and into homes, SmartGrids envisions a two-way flow of electricity, where customers -- big and small -- not only receive energy but also generate it themselves and, when necessary, make it available to the grid.