EM-Power Europe: Flexible Consumers Take the Burden Off the Grid
May 15 2024 - 9:13AM
Business Wire
Climate-neutral power generation from solar and wind will
place several new challenges on the energy system. Key is that a
significantly higher degree of flexibility will be required
compared to today to keep supply and consumption in balance.
Flexible consumers can make a significant contribution to this. How
this can be achieved will be an important topic at EM-Power Europe,
the international trade fair for energy management and integrated
energy solutions.
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EM-Power Europe 2024 presents a wide
range of solutions for more digitalization and flexibility. (Photo:
Solar Promotion GmbH)
"According to EU calculations, the demand for flexibility will
increase by 133 percent between now and 2030," explains Michael
Villa, Managing Director of the European industry association
smartEn. In a recent study, Agora Energiewende came to the
conclusion that by 2035, electric cars, heat pumps and home storage
systems will be able to shift around ten percent of the annual
electricity demand required in Germany. That would accumulate to
around 100 terawatt hours. This flexibility on the consumer side
will save the economy around 4.8 billion euros. But how can
consumers make contributions to the energy transition?
Making ideal use of your own electricity
An initial consumer contribution to flexibilization has been a
proven state of the art for years: prosumers with their own
photovoltaic system linked to a stationary battery storage system,
their own heat pump and charge their electric car with the
electricity they generate themselves. This way, they not only
minimize their own electricity consumption from the grid - they
also reduce the load on the respective distribution grid by
maximizing their own consumption.
Supply and demand
When there is a lot of electricity available from the sun and
wind, prices on the European trading platform EEX fall. From 2025,
all electricity suppliers in Germany will be obliged to offer their
customers dynamic tariffs. They will then be able to optimize their
consumption in terms of price. However, if many households consume
a lot of electricity at the same time, the distribution grids will
be under considerable strain. Making grid charges more flexible
could counteract this effect: from 2025, grid charges in Germany
will be higher at times of high grid utilization and lower at times
of low utilization.
Suppliers intervene
Suppliers will also contribute to flexibility to a greater
extent: if grid capacity threatens to become scarce, they can
reduce their customers' consumption. This is an example that has
been successfully practiced: If a bottleneck becomes apparent,
suppliers can temporarily switch off connected heat pumps
themselves. However, customers do not suffer any loss of comfort as
a result, as thermal storage units keep their homes warm. In
return, they receive the electricity for their heat pump at a
particularly favorable price.
New: throttling instead of switching off
A novelty to the Energy Industry Act (EnWG) allows grid
operators to throttle some wallboxes and heat pumps if there is a
risk of grid overload. In return, grid operators may no longer
refuse to connect such consumers on the grounds of possible grid
overload.
EM-Power Europe
EM-Power Europe is the international trade fair for energy
management and integrated energy solutions. Under the motto
"Empowering Grids and Prosumers", it brings together stakeholders
and focuses on current trends and developments. EM-Power Europe
will take place from June 19 to 21, 2024 at Messe München.
Further information: www.em-power.eu
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240515343343/en/
Press contact: ressourcenmangel an der Panke GmbH Roberto
Freiberger | Tel.: +49 163 8430 943
roberto.freiberger@ressourcenmangel.de
Solar Promotion GmbH Peggy Zilay | Tel.: +49 7231 58598-240
zilay@solarpromotion.com