Neckar-Alb Virtual Power Plant" ceremonially commissioned

Done! The demonstration project with a central control system from AVAT brings together different producers, consumers and storage facilities based on renewable energy generation.

Enthusiastic all around: Today Franz Untersteller, Baden-Württemberg's Minister of the Environment, put the demonstration project "Neckar-Alb Virtual Power Plant" into operation at Reutlingen University in the presence of all those involved.

The relevant data from the various generators, consumers and storage facilities as well as the grid status in the virtual power plant converge in a central control system developed by us. This also serves as an information and research platform for the topics of cogeneration, demand-side management, capacity marketing, sector coupling, e-mobility, grid optimization and energy storage.

The cooperation network provided a test environment for the various players in the energy supply sector, while enabling professional knowledge and practice transfer at the same time. The goal is to create a flexible, standardized overall system of a virtual power plant through the development of innovative components in all areas, which guarantees the coupling of a wide variety of individual systems at all times, taking into account the individual perspectives of traders, suppliers, network operators and users, as well as guaranteeing an optimal cross-connection of electricity, heating and cooling.

Find out what's behind VK Neckar-Alb in a video (German language only) from Reutlingen University.

You can read the press release from the Ministry of Environment here (German language only).

 

Background

Achieving the climate protection goals of the federal and state governments requires a major change in the energy supply system. This will lead from a centralized to a decentralized structure, in which the supply system includes more and more spatially distributed renewable energy plants. The task is to integrate these in a sustainable and economically optimal way. This opens up various new research and development options. These include grid expansion, smart grid, use of storage and cross-connection optimization between the electricity and heating markets. "Virtual power plants" will represent an important link in the energy industry in the future. Their early realization will secure future competitiveness. At the same time, the network partners involved are expanding their competencies.

 

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