dena Grid Study III

This is the challenge:

A high-performance, flexible electricity grid is the basic precondition for the success of the energy transition. Climate protection targets can only be achieved if renewable energy sources and new, decentralised producers and consumers can be integrated into the transmission and distribution grids, and renewable electricity made utilisable for all sectors. At the same time, security of supply must be guaranteed. However, because of problems such as public acceptance, upgrading the transmission grid is progressing only slowly. This results in grid bottlenecks, throttling of renewable energy sources and rising costs for the community. Such developments place high demands not only on grid operation and control, but also on grid planning.

Our solution:

Through dialogue with representatives of politics, science, industry and society, dena is investigating how energy infrastructure planning can be optimised from the perspective of an integrated energy transition. A system development plan would not only help to determine the need for additional transmission capacity, but might also involve a wide range of optimisation options for the performance capability of the electricity grid. These include technical innovations and new areas of activity, such as using flexibility or locating producers and loads in ways that are beneficial to the grid. A new planning process could provide a long-term road map and leverage synergies.

The effect:

The objective of the dena Grid Study III is to optimise grid planning so that climate protection targets can be met, security of supply continues to be guaranteed and the minimum possible costs arise for the general public. System development planning could provide an opportunity to set coordinates for grid planning and consider potential solution options as effectively as possible. This would enable a maximum efficiency grid to be achieved – custom-designed for actual needs, and able to meet the demands of an integrated energy transition.