Getting smart with electricity networks – Information Centre – Research & Innovation

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Europe is hunting to enhance its use of renewable electricity resources as a way of cutting down emissions and to tackle world-wide warming. Nevertheless, integrating the likes of photo voltaic and wind energy into energy grids continues to be a obstacle owing to fluctuations in offer and confined storage potential. This is an difficulty for energy program operators who have to have to maintain security of energy materials to homes and industry.

Intelligent grids could present an answer. They embrace a assortment of systems, apps and infrastructures that can assistance regulate energy distribution devices more correctly and intelligently. While a great deal of the investigation in this area has centered on unique aspects of wise grids, the EU-funded ERIGRID venture took a more holistic approach, drawing collectively the operate of scientists from across Europe.

‘Our venture supports the technological growth and roll-out of wise grid methods, solutions and ideas in Europe by addressing program validation for wise grids,’ claims venture coordinator Thomas Strasser from the AIT Austrian Institute of Technological innovation. ‘We are developing common strategies, ideas and processes by bringing collectively eighteen European investigation centres and institutions with remarkable investigation infrastructures.’

Actual-time simulations

ERIGRID’s Trans-nationwide Activity (TA) programme available external groups absolutely free access to some of Europe’s very best amenities. By venture close in April 2020, all around 70 groups of engineers and scientists had taken gain of the programme. They worked on a assortment of topics relating to wise grids and electricity distribution networks, such as ICT, automation systems, energy regulate components and manufacturing of new parts. The TA-backed projects ended up also in a position to check solutions by way of serious-time simulations.

Throughout 6 calls for proposals, the TA delivered benefits that will assistance to develop smart electricity networks. For case in point, the ECOSMIC venture drew up an financial evaluation framework for micro-grids. The findings offered a pathway for the productive use of decentralised energy generation for urban residential energy networks.

In the meantime, the LCA venture developed a technological alternative that could lessen the energy industry’s reliance on an environmentally hazardous synthetic fuel. Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) is commonly applied to stop quick circuits but is deemed to be the most powerful of all greenhouse gases. LCA’s alternative mixed ground breaking sensor systems and dry air to insulate circuits alternatively of applying SF6.

Open access tools

To complement the TA programme, ERIGRID worked to present scientists and engineers with new understanding and tools in this relatively youthful subject area. ‘We are providing teaching and educational components that tackle a full assortment of difficulties and meet crucial desires in the domain of energy and electricity devices,’ claims Strasser. ‘And we are raising consciousness of the have to have to validate wise grids by way of a broad collaboration with stakeholders.’

The venture ran typical webinars, workshops and seasonal faculties to share know-how and very best observe on topics such as energy generation options for wise metropolitan areas and creating responsible and protected digitalised electricity devices. Quite a few open access and open source tools ended up also developed, which are now readily available by way of the ERIGRID internet site.

The provision of access to remarkable wise grid and wise electricity devices investigation infrastructures will go on in the ERIGrid 2. venture around the following 4 decades.