Forecasts commissioned by the German government assume an increasing demand for electrical energy. Will the existing infrastructure be able to transmit this additional energy?
The German government’s energy targets are clear: realize the energy transition. Converting energy production to renewable energy generation, abandoning nuclear power and reducing CO2 emissions by 2030 are ambitious, but not completely unrealistic.
CO2 reduction in particular presents challenges that are not insignificant. It is predicted that there will be around 15 million fully electric cars on German roads by 2030 (currently 1.1 million). The additional electricity demand is estimated at up to 68 TWh per year.
In order to reduce CO2 emissions in the industrial sector, “decarbonization” is an important building block. Hydrogen is to replace fossil fuels. If possible, this should be “green hydrogen” – i.e. produced by renewable power plants. The electricity consumption for the production of hydrogen is estimated at just under 20 TWh.
In the private sector, heat pumps are to replace oil and gas heating systems. Even pellet heating systems, which were recently subsidized, are to be replaced by heat pumps in the medium term. The electricity requirement for heat pumps in residential buildings, non-residential buildings and smaller hot water heat pumps is assumed to be 45 TWh.
These three measures alone will increase the current energy demand by around 25 %. The scenarios of energy suppliers and grid operators even assume a 2 to 3-fold increase in electricity demand by 2030.
An example from the chemical industry: BASF, the world’s largest chemical company, expects its own energy requirements to be three times higher by 2035 than they are today as a result of the switch to climate-neutral production. The German Chemical Industry Association expects its members’ consumption to rise from 54 TWh today to over 600 TWh in 2050. After all, that is the current energy demand of the whole of Germany.
Bottleneck energy transmission grids?
The increased demand for electrical energy must not only be generated, but also transmitted to the end user. The current electricity grids are not able to transport this amount of energy. Bottlenecks will occur, particularly at times of peak demand. By 2030, it will not be possible to expand the energy transmission grid to the extent required, creating a bottleneck.
In 2011, the Federal Network Agency enshrined atypical grid usage in Section 19 StromNEV. This measure is intended to reduce the load on the electricity grids during peak load times. It is conceivable that this measure could be further promoted in order to prevent overloading. Further means are needed to prevent a black-out.
Relief through energy optimization
In a market economy, the law applies: supply and demand determine the price. One possible scenario is an increase in the costs for the provision of power by the grid operators, as demand will be higher than the existing grid capacity to transmit the energy. This price increase will make Germany less attractive as a business location for investors.
Energy optimization systems have been used for decades to reduce energy costs in the peak power range. The side effect is that grids are better utilized and can therefore be operated more efficiently. High power peaks are smoothed out and significantly reduce the maximum grid load. In Germany, the average costs for the power peak are €100/kW/a, meaning that reducing the power peak by 100 kW results in an annual reduction in electricity costs of €10,000.
With regard to the energy transition and transmission facilities, energy optimization systems can contribute significantly to the success of the energy transition. It can be assumed that energy optimization systems will become even more important.
Function of energy optimization
The energy supplier calculates the power peak in 15-minute average values. These values are therefore recorded 96 times a day, stored in the meter and read out remotely every day. In practice, the meters do not measure power, but the amount of energy drawn from the grid in 15 minutes. These energy values in kWh are multiplied by four to arrive at the average output in kW.
Energy optimization systems therefore monitor the maximum amount of energy that can be drawn from the grid in 15 minutes. Example: With a maximum power peak of 200 kW, the energy quantity of 50 kWh is maintained within 15 minutes.
This is why such systems are called energy optimization systems. The gentle intervention at the consumers of a company can reduce the power peaks and thus the costs by 15 – 25 %.
Modern systems can not only switch off consumers, but also regulate them using analog outputs. We have gone even further to meet the challenge of connecting charging stations and battery storage systems: With the help of an intelligent gateway, KBR’s energy optimization system can communicate with consumers and systems via Modbus TCP or Modbus RS 485. This means that charging stations and battery storage systems can be easily integrated into KBR’s multimax energy optimization system.
Conclusion
Energy optimization systems are an important means of successfully implementing the energy transition and reducing the costs of providing power. The adaptation to operation should not wait until the end of the year. Those who start early with the implementation will be able to expect immediate savings at the beginning of next year. Load profile analyses provide an initial overview of the savings potential in your company.
