Project flexQgrid

The energy system is changing

The large power plants are increasingly being replaced by smaller decentralised units that use renewable energy sources. In addition, the demand for electricity is rising due to the increase in electric vehicles and electric-powered heating systems. This also has an impact on the distribution grids in which these units are connected.

Distribution grids that were previously passive and distributed the electricity from large power plants are now becoming active. There are already areas where, at certain times, more electricity is generated than consumed. This can lead to congestions, so that nowadays generation units in a wide area are limited and renewable energies are not being used to the maximum. Our goal is to change this.

flexQgrid. The grid of the future becomes real.

What happens in the grid? This is one of the fundamental questions in flexQgrid. In which state are the utilities currently? How will the grid be utilized tomorrow? The grid will become transparent and we will be able to forecast critical situations and avoid congestions through an intelligent interaction of all components. To this end, we are jointly developing systems and concepts over a project period of 3 years, which operate in the three traffic light phases of the so-called grid traffic light. We gain practical experience in tests in the NETZlabor of Netze BW in Freiamt and in laboratory tests at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

  • Project duration: November 2019 – October 2022
  • 9 partners from grid operation, industry and science
  • 1-year field test from summer 2021
  • One field test municipality

Our Mission

From grid operation to the individual units: We consider all components of the energy system of the future.
We connect all players within the energy processes and test our solution in real-life in cooperation with citizens.
We enable the energy transitionby integrating a maximum of renewable energies into the grid.
We integrate all decentralised units and continue to guarantee secure grid operation.

Freiamt – the field test area in numbers

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kW
Installed renewable generation capacity
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h
Sunshine hours in 2018
More about the field test

News

Wie das Forschungsprojekt flexQgrid die Netzführung einbindet
18. June 2020

Das Netz der Zukunft wird real: Im Forschungsprojekt flexQgrid integrieren wir technische Innovationen in den realen Netzbetrieb, um die Herausforderungen der Energiewende zu meistern. Diese resultieren insbesondere aus der Zunahme erneuerbarer Energien, die im Gegensatz zu konventionellen Kraftwerken Strom dezentral im Verteilnetz einspeisen sowie aus neuen Verbrauchern wie Elektromobilität. Um unsere Lösungen für diese Herausforderungen im realen Netzbetrieb umzusetzen, berücksichtigen wir reale Rahmenbedingungen, reale Akteure aber auch reale Anforderungen an die Netzführung – Zuverlässigkeit und Versorgungssicherheit.

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Gruppenfoto Projektteam flexQgrid
Good atmosphere at the ceremonial starting signal for flexQgrid
28. February 2020

On February 28, 2020, we celebrated the launch of the flexQgrid project and the handover of the notice of funding from the BMWi.

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Further news

Integrating as much electricity from renewable energy systems as possible into the grid - that is the goal of the nationwide unique flexQgrid project. According to the motto 'switch on flexible consumers when wind and sun are available'“.

Martin Konermann, Technical Director Netze BW GmbH

With flexQgrid, we want to show that flexible units in the distribution grid can also eliminate congestions using market instruments.

Alois Wichtlhuber, member of the board of Entelios AG

It will be interesting to use the results obtained in simulations in the field test and validate and specify models and statements for the grid of the future using real data.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Leibfried, Head of the Institute for Electrical Energy Systems and High-Voltage Technology at KIT

Partners

Developing the grid of the future together.We are working on our solutions in a strong consortium of nine partners for the next three years to make the grid of the future a reality. The partners from the fields of grid operation, industry and science yield years of expertise in their respective fields to the project. The individual elements - components and players in the energy world - are thus optimally combined to create a joint solution for the future grid.