Municipal Energy Supply Systems of the Future (KESS)

 

Planned project duration (2015 - 2017), sponsored by the RWTH Aachen University strategy funds.

More than ever, the German energy sector is characterized by the structural change of the energy transition to meet the national and international decarbonization goals. This process takes place across different sectors in various fields such as "mobility", "building climate", "electricity", etc. Furthermore, an important characteristic is the increasing decentralization in this process, even including individual households potentials by means of self- supply using photovoltaic and CHP systems and/or storing power for example in battery storage devices. This makes manifest of the ongoing desire of consumers to become more independent of external energy supply.

In some areas, not only individual citizens but entire communities want to increase their energy self-sufficiency. The idea is further investigated within the research project "municipal energy supply systems of the future", or "KESS" (German abbreviation). To reflect the interdisciplinary nature of such a complex issue, six institutes from different fields work together in order to examine perspectives of self-sufficient communities with regards to topics such as "public acceptance", "technical feasibility" and "economic benefits".

The Latter is the area of expertise of the FCN, where researchers investigate,

• what economic incentives could motivate consumers to align their consumption behavior to the grid requirements,
• which portfolio composition of wind power, photovoltaics, CHPs and energy storages is at optimal costs under heterogeneous initial situations, and
• when is the best time for an upgrade and/or retrofit of the households own technology from an economic perspective.

The individual findings of the research alliance are brought together in a shared simulator, which should give an impression for future political decision-making units, which strategy provides the best results in an individual initial situation.

Moreover, an actual demonstration plant will be constructed on the campus in order to validate theoretical findings and innovative technical approaches that can also be studied when interacting with each other.

Project Publications

Zaunbrecher, Barbara S.; Bexten, Thomas; Specht, Jan Martin; Wirsum, Manfred; Madlener, Reinhard; Ziefle, Martina (2017): Using Scenarios for Interdisciplinary Energy Research - A Process Model. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Smart Cities and Green ICT Systems. 6th International Conference on Smart Cities and Green ICT Systems. Porto, Portugal: SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, S. 293–298. [Springer]

Löbberding L., Madlener R. (2017). System Cost Uncertainty of Micro Fuel Cell Cogeneration and Storage, Energy Procedia, 142: 2824–2830. [DOI]

Risthaus K., Madlener R. (2017). Economic Analysis of Electricity Storage Based on Heat Pumps and Thermal Storage Units in Thermal Power Plants, Energy Procedia, 142: 2816-2823. [DOI]

Goebbels L., Madlener R. (2017). Investment Valuation of a Modular Expansion Microgrid: A Real Options Analysis, FCN Working Paper No. 6/2017, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior, RWTH Aachen University, May.

Goebbels L., Madlener R. (2017). Resilience of a Modular Expansion Microgrid: Concepts, Indicators and Performance Evaluation, FCN Working Paper No. 5/2017, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior, RWTH Aachen University, May.

Löbberding L., Madlener R. (2016). Techno-Economic Analysis of Micro Fuel Cell Cogeneration and Storage, FCN Working Paper No. 23/2016, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior, RWTH Aachen University, December.

Von Hülsen H., Madlener R. (2016). Techno-Economic Selection and Evaluation of Generation-Storage Portfolios for Partially Self-Sufficient Energy Municipalities, FCN Working Paper No. 20/2016, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior, RWTH Aachen University, December.

König M., Madlener R. (2015). Assessing Local Power Generation Potentials of Photovoltaics, Engine Cogeneration, and Heat Pumps: The Case of a Major Swiss City, FCN Working Paper No. 21/2015, Institute for Future Energy Consumer Needs and Behavior, RWTH Aachen University, December.