The energy transition and the associated integration of renewable energies into the electricity system will bring about a comprehensive change in all areas. A key element for the success of the electricity, heat and mobility transformation is the targeted use of flexibility at all levels of the energy system.
Many of these solution components are associated with high costs that are passed on to the user and lead to problems of social acceptance. With a total of 44 % of the net electricity demand and 25 % of the heat demand in Germany, industrial processes and especially large individual plants in energy-intensive industrial sectors have considerable flexibility levers. The medium and short-term flexibilisation of electricity demand, known as demand-side management (DSM), offers an opportunity to enable the restructuring of the energy system in a cost-effective and socially accepted manner.
The aim of the project is the development of strategies and solutions to exploit existing flexibility potentials. Based on the analysis of basic conditions, methods, technologies and solutions for the flexibilisation of electricity supply and demand will be developed and applied in four defined case studies. The case studies focus on the areas of fully electric households (1), trade, commerce and services (2), industrial processes (3) and electromobility (4). Methods from the field of System of Systems Engineering are identified, classified, analysed and evaluated with regard to their application for the design of energy flexibility. Based on this, a methodological toolbox for energy flexibility is developed, as well as a multi-level simulation environment for mapping future energy supply systems. For this purpose, existing models of households and supply systems will be coupled with models for mapping production systems and the operation of electric mobility fleets and further developed with regard to the design of energy flexibility. The coupling of the models is based on the latest methods of co-simulation so that operating modes and the aggregation of flexibilities, forecast models, the allocation of demand to supply as well as a flexibility market to be introduced if necessary can be efficiently mapped. Based on the model-based mapping, new business models and solutions for market design are developed. In order to test the flexibility strategies, a demonstration in the laboratories of the university institutes as well as field tests at practice partners are planned. In addition, a technical, ecological and economic evaluation is to classify the different flexibility potentials. Finally, recommendations for action and results of the project will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders.
Project results can be found on the elenia project website. Elenia is in charge of project coordination for the TU Braunschweig project participants.