At a glance
In the ‘Digitalisation and system technology’ topic, Jülich researchers are developing methods for the optimal design, networking and control of energy systems. One focus is on energy communities in which many elements such as photovoltaic and wind power plants, heat recovery systems, fuel cells and battery and hydrogen storage systems are networked at a local level.
This requires a novel, adaptive, and forward-looking control strategy to keep the energy grid stable. The technologies developed at Jülich are being tested in the “Living Lab Energy Campus” and serve as a blueprint for intelligent energy grids of the future.
Challenges
The energy grid is increasingly organized on a decentralized basis and involves many different parties: private households feed energy into the grid via their photovoltaic systems, as do large energy companies with their wind farms, geothermal plants, and fossil-fuelled power plants. In addition, storage systems must be integrated and systems made more flexible to compensate for fluctuations in renewable energy sources. The challenge is to operate the energy grids in a stable manner, optimize the use of resources and ensure a secure supply for the population and industry.
Solutions
The energy system of tomorrow requires innovative methods, models, and tools. Jülich researchers are developing novel engineering and information technology solutions for the design, operation, and control of such an integrated, decentralized energy system. Their solutions are based on regional concepts as well as on the extensive European transmission grids.
Another focus of the Jülich experts is cross-sector system integration, which makes it possible to operate energy-intensive industrial processes flexibly by seamlessly interlinking energy storage systems and fully digitizing the energy system. The future design, integration, and operation of energy grids for electricity, gas, heat, and liquid fuels, including hydrogen, also requires new concepts that are being tested at Jülich using simulations or on site in the “Living Lab Energy Campus”.
The technical feasibility of various hardware and software solutions is thus tested and verified in a dedicated hardware-in-the-loop laboratory. Machine learning, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing also open up the possibility of developing customized. This enables large energy grids to be calculated with unprecedented resolution and accuracy. The goal is an intelligent and stable energy system, which is sustainable, economic, and user-friendly.
