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Smart System.
making the grid intelligent

Energiewende

Germany’s Energiewende means greater complexity

Germany is moving to cleaner energy and its power landscape is evolving fast. The goal is for 35 percent of electricity to be produced from renewables by 2020, rising to more than 80 percent by 2050. More and more power generators are entering the market, including wind farms, biomass plants and photovoltaic arrays. This is leading to distributed and fragmented patterns of generation, with fluctuating feed-in volumes. Entirely new centres of sustainable electricity production – such as in coastal areas – are emerging, while the number of conventional power plants is dwindling.

Strommast

The distances between these new centres of generation and the primary points of consumption are growing. To transmit electricity from the wind farms of Northern to Southern Germany, and distribute it Europe-wide, we are expanding and upgrading the grid infrastructure. For example, with the help of the SuedLink and ULTRANET projects.

Consumers

The shift from consumers to prosumers

A new generation of consumers is emerging: they are increasingly environmentally-conscious and will soon be partially self-sufficient in energy. They will meet a portion of their electricity needs through photovoltaic arrays. They will use heat pumps and energy storage solutions in their homes, and electric vehicles for personal transportation.

By 2030, there will be some six million electric cars on Germany’s roads, that will need to be charged and ready to go at all times. Consumer behaviour is becoming more diverse and more individualistic – not just in people’s personal lives. Industrial power consumption is changing, too – driven by new control and measurement technologies, resulting in greater efficiency and flexibility. By shifting energy-intensive processes to off-peak times, manufacturers will play a key role in reducing grid load.

Vermarkter

Intelligent measurement equipment, such as smart meters, enables the analysis of large quantities of data. Widespread adoption of these devices, and ongoing communication with the control centres of grid operators, will help to make the infrastructure more reliable. To this end, we have implemented cutting-edge information and communications technology within our transmission network.

Smart grid

reliable and responsive

The power lines in our network not only carry electricity, but also information on activities at all voltage levels. In fact, the grid is in many ways already smart and adaptive. Thanks to powerful measurement and monitoring technology and digital data transfer, we can quickly identify, and reliably respond to, fluctuations in generation and consumption. For example, through system balancing and redispatching. Or through increasingly accurate forecasts, for instance of feed-in volumes from solar energy systems, corrected for self-consumption. This allows us to keep grid frequency at a constant 50 Hz – and consign flickering lights and power surges to history.

Strommarkt

By digitizing our network and making intelligent use of the information we collect, we enable all players in the power-supply system and market to communicate with each other. This lays the foundations for the development of targeted products for more flexible consumers and generators. In future, for example, it will be possible to use electric cars and their charging patterns to stabilize the grid.

Smart Market

flexible cross-border trading

As a TSO, we make our grid available as a platform for interregional and cross-border electricity trading. At the same time, a growing number of products are being offered that allow local, small-scale generators and consumers to participate flexibly and profitably in the market. For example, they can take advantage of more attractive prices on exchanges. Flexibility at local level also plays a vital role in safeguarding network reliability. For example, consumers who use power in a grid-friendly way (e.g. via energy storage) can be incentivized by financial rewards. In partnership with other network operators, we make sure that the products offered have the desired effect, without competing with other products and established mechanisms. As a result, we can master the challenges that Germany’s new energy strategy presents – with targeted products, effective communications, and future-proof technology.

TransnetBW

We take a holistic approach to managing the power infrastructure, and act with responsibility. We are committed to ensuring a stable, reliable electricity supply today and in the future, making a key contribution to South-West Germany‘s thriving economy and high quality of life.

Smart System

making the grid intelligent

The grid of tomorrow is being planned, designed and built today. For TransnetBW, innovation means conducting large-scale trials and demonstrating the value of smart networks in conjunction with smart markets. Smart grids plus smart markets together create a smart system. This is how we intend to safeguard security of supply in the long term.

Videocover

Knowledge

World of Energy

How is TransnetBW bringing intelligence to the transmission grid? How much electricity does the sun provide in winter? What does the grid in Baden-Württemberg have to do with Berlin and Brussels? You will find more fascinating information in our "World of Energy".