10.06.2024
Source: Energy & Management Powernews
The "cells4.energy" project at the University of Passau is investigating whether a stable grid is possible by balancing power generation and consumption in regional cells.
A team led by Prof. Hermann de Meer is investigating whether the energy system can be restructured with regional energy cells in the "cells4.energy" project. The electricity grid in Europe is undergoing radical change. Renewable, decentralized energy sources are being massively expanded. As these are weather-dependent, there is a need for greater storage and flexibility in electricity consumption. Therefore, the maintenance of grid frequency and voltage must also be decentralized.
The inverters on the storage systems, photovoltaic and wind power plants must be expanded to include the provision of system services, according to the proposal of the research team from the University of Passau. "The massive expansion of renewable, decentralized energy sources requires a paradigm shift away from centralized towards decentralized generation," says Hermann de Meer from the Chair of Computer Science. Increasingly, energy is no longer just flowing from the transmission grid into the local grids, but a significant exchange of energy is also taking place within the local grids.
Establishing a balance between generation and consumption
Load balancing is also shifting at least partially to the consumer side. Due to the dynamics of the electricity grid, extensive sector coupling is becoming more important as long-term energy storage and flexibility. The team of computer scientists at the University of Passau is testing a concept for organizing the energy system as a system of regional cells. "Energy cells are characterized by the fact that they can be self-sufficient and have the ability to store energy and provide system services," explains de Meer.
Building on these cells, his team is defining a "multi-energy virtual power plant" in the research project. This is an intelligent control system that coordinates the use of consumer-side flexibility, storage and the provision of system services. What makes it special is that the power plant coordinates this use across sectors. "The energy cell concept could facilitate the integration of renewables and at the same time ensure that citizens have better control options," says de Meer.
Austrian municipalities as real-world laboratories
In the "cells4.energy" project, several organizations from science and practice as well as from Austria, Germany and Norway have joined forces under the coordination of the Austrian Institute of Technology. In the overarching project, the partners are researching the concept. They are testing its feasibility in practical studies, with Austrian municipalities serving as real-world laboratories.
Thematic focal points are being researched in sub-projects. The University of Passau is developing concepts for the energy cells, for an information and communication system within an energy cell and for structuring the grid using renewables. Other topics include geothermal energy and the implementation of sector coupling with heating networks. The Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG is funding the project over a period of four years.
Information about the project "cells4.energy" is available on the Internet.
Author: Susanne Harmsen
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