Dena Practice Dialog

March 22, 2023

Source: Energy & Management Powernews

Five proposals for the rapid and efficient transformation of grids are the result of Dena's practical dialogue for integrated energy infrastructures.

In view of the great need for expansion and transformation of energy infrastructures, the German Energy Agency (Dena) has published an impulse paper to enable the planning and implementation of infrastructure adaptations. The paper is the result of the "dena-Praxisdialog integrierte Energieinfrastrukturen" (dena practical dialogue on integrated energy infrastructures), in which EWE Netz, Rheinische Netz Gesellschaft, Stadtwerke München and Stromnetz Hamburg have also been involved since mid-2022, in addition to dena.

In particular at the local level, extensive electrification of the heat supply and transport, as well as the switch to climate-neutral energy sources, mean that considerable adaptations of the various energy networks are necessary, according to an aide memoire from Dena. Electricity grids, for example, would need to be greatly expanded to integrate new consumers and power generation from renewables. Gas grids could be partially converted to use with hydrogen, but would need to undergo significant transformation, especially at the distribution grid level, and heating grids would need to be greatly expanded and decarbonized, especially in metropolitan areas. These adjustments posed considerable challenges for network operators and municipalities.

The practical dialog had shown that for a successful transformation, clear target images for the future energy supply broken down to the local level were needed, as was a regulated exchange process between the various network operators and the municipalities. Thus, a coordinated, integrated planning of local infrastructures becomes possible.

Concretely, the stakeholders involved in the practical dialogue therefore make five suggestions:

- Regional energy scenarios can build a bridge between higher-level national strategies and planning instruments such as the system development strategy and local instruments such as municipal heat planning.
- Local energy master planning should complement the important instrument of municipal heat planning and extend it with a cross-sectoral local strategy for the transformation of grid-based infrastructures. Binding transformation plans for local infrastructures could be based on such a local energy master planning.
- The establishment of an energy coordination office in the municipal administration could combine the responsibilities distributed among different specialized authorities and thus enable efficient and integrated planning and implementation together with the grid operators.
- Flexible electricity demand can help to optimize power grid expansion and make grid operation more efficient. To this end, it is necessary both to advance the digitization of distribution grids and to create the regulatory framework to be able to activate flexibility potentials.
- The current regulatory framework for grid operators must be further developed to enable sustainable grid planning. First, forward planning should be better incentivized. Second, appropriate and socially acceptable solutions for the transformation as well as a possible decommissioning of parts of the gas distribution network and their financing must be found very promptly.

The complete impulse paper is available on Dena's website.

Author: Katia Meyer-Tien