After the successful conclusion of the contract, the dimension of our field test in flexQgrid is now fixed: In three selected low voltage grids - called focus low voltage grids in the project - we will test our entire solution and convert the households of our field test participants into a smart household. In addition, there will be further photovoltaic systems in other low voltage grids, which are, however, connected to the same medium-voltage feeder.
As things stand at the moment, in our field test, which will start in August 2021, we can
- welcome 41 participants, 23 of them in focus low voltage grids
- connect 1.37 MW of photovoltaic system capacity, around 500 kW of it in the focus low voltage grids
- control 24 electric charging points
- control 9 home battery systems as well as one big battery storage
- control 7 heat pumps
We are very pleased that the residents in Freiamt are working with us to develop the grid of the future. The municipality is one of the sunniest places in Baden-Württemberg. This also means that PV systems here produce three to four times more renewable energy than is needed locally. When large amounts of electricity like this feed into the lower voltage levels, the distribution grid must also be equipped to handle it. In addition, electricity generation depends on the weather, and new consumers, such as e-cars and heat pumps, require high outputs at the same time. The flexible units are intelligently coordinated and automatically controlled so that grid congestions - i.e. transport difficulties in the transmission of electricity - can be avoided before they even occur. In our field test, we are also equipping residents with state-of-the-art measurement and communication technology. Thanks to the high participation rate, high amount of decentralised units and new consumers, we get a realistic picture. We are thus providing important findings for the successful implementation of the energy transition.
Thanks to Freiamt for the great cooperation. The project team is looking forward to the next steps towards the start of the field test in summer 2021.