Planning instrument for the use and expansion of flexibility options – Research project launched

09.01.2020 | The expansion of renewable energy and the integration of the energy sectors (heat, mobility, gas) will place further demands on the electricity grid. These include the expansion and restructuring of the grid at several grid levels. The effects of sector coupling on the power grid are being looked at in the context of our new project eGoⁿ, whose kick-off meeting will take place on 11 and 12 February.

The aim of the research project eGoⁿ is to investigate the necessary grid expansion in the German electricity grid caused by the integration of renewable energy and the integration of energy sectors. It also investigates how network expansion can be avoided by using flexibility options.

To this end, the planning instrument eGo (see research project open eGo) will be expanded and further developed. Within the framework of the research project, the existing planning tool will be supplemented by requirements and flexibilities from the areas of gas, heat and e-mobility as well as other electrical flexibilities. This extension of the tool is intended to identify opportunities and potentials, but also challenges, which a progressive sector coupling for the German electricity grid will bring. All voltage levels of the electricity grid are taken into account.

As in the previous project, the extended planning tool open_eGo will be documented and following the open source guidelines published. Data sets are also published under an Open Data license.

We are pleased about the exciting cooperation with our project partners, the Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (ZNES) at the Europa-Universität Flensburg, the Institute of Networked Energy Systems at Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), the Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology (IEE) and the Institute for Intelligent Cooperating Systems (IKS) at the Otto von Guericke Universität Magdeburg, on a cross-sectoral planning instrument for the optimal use and expansion of flexibility options in Germany.

The project eGoⁿ is funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) as part of the 7th Energy Research Program and the Reiner Lemoine Stiftung. More info on the project can be found on the website of the project itself.