The SmartEnergyLab is a simulator for possible energy systems in houses. Image: Fraunhofer |
The
residential housing sector needs smart energy systems. And yet the
potential for developing these kinds of systems remains largely
untapped. In the SmartEnergyLab,
Fraunhofer researchers are able to analyze, assess and develop almost
any energy management system for controlling power and heat.
A
smartphone is all it takes to turn the heating on or off at home. This
might sound like science fiction to the average user, but it is not
unusual for the scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy
Systems ISE in Freiburg. In an innovative test laboratory, the
SmartEnergyLab, they are investigating how to network various electrical
household appliances and operate them remotely. In the residential
housing sector in particular there is still a great deal of potential
for smart energy-management systems that are capable of tailoring local
power generation and consumption optimally to the power grid: What is
the best time of day for utilizing solar power? How can we store the
energy produced and possibly feed it back into the power grid at a
lucrative price? “Smart energy-systems technology for the consumer end
of the distribution grid is the key to sustainable, secure energy
supply,” explains Christof Wittwer, group manager at Fraunhofer ISE. By
mapping all the thermal and electrical energy flows, the lab constitutes
a unique platform for analyzing, assessing and developing smart homes
and smart grid solutions for the distribution grid.
“Basically, our lab is a simulator for potential energy systems for houses,” says Wittwer.
The
lab is equipped with renewable as well as electric and thermal
producers and storage devices for tomorrow’s single-family dwellings and
apartment buildings. It boasts a stand-alone 5 kW cogeneration plant, a
two-cubic-meter buffer storage tank, a photovoltaic simulator, several
PV inverters and various stand-alone inverters, a lithium-ion battery
pack, a lead battery bank, a charging infrastructure for electric
vehicles as well as other equipment. The combination of virtual and real
components means researchers can simulate almost any energy system. For
any given system they then assess and evaluate the potential energy
savings for the customer associated with managing that system.
The
service portfolio includes everything from “Integration assessment of
thermal and electrical equipment in the system”, “Function and
communications testing for energy management systems” to the “Efficiency
assessment of energy management and generation equipment”. Energy
suppliers and grid operators from across Germany are already leveraging
the know-how of the Freiburg-based experts to determine the potential
inherent in the decentralized management of this kind of equipment.
Tariff models need to be assessed and their impact on the power grids
investigated.
At
the Hannover Messe from April 4 to 8, researchers on the joint
Fraunhofer Energy Alliance booth in Hall 13, Booth C41 will be
showcasing a small yet very sophisticated device: The Smart Energy
Gateway – a component from the test lab – organizes the way in which
data is shared between energy supplier and consumer. The smart box
networks the power meters for heat, water and electricity and ensures
that the right control function is used to increase efficiency based on
current consumption figures and tariff information. But the Gateway is
not just a networked meter and energy management optimization device: It
can also be used to control household appliances or heaters and to
program on/off times. When should the heat pump, the washing machine or
the dishwasher come on? In future, one worry you won’t have when you’re
on vacation is whether you forgot to switch the stove off.
