The central objective of the research project BEAM-ME, funded under the 6th Energy Research Program by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), is the acceleration of models for the design and analysis of energy system scenarios for Germany. ewi ER&S is a participant of the model experiment. The model experiment in which acceleration strategies are to be transferred to other energy system models (ESM) is a central component of the project. This examines the extent to which the choice of the acceleration strategy depends on the architecture of the respective model and how strategies for accelerating ESM can be implemented and further developed. Starting from defined reference models, the models of the experiment participants are first developed in such a way that a cross-model benchmarking of selected acceleration strategies is possible. Supported by the project consortium, the participants implement the selected strategies into their models and parameterize a variety of instances of their ESM for the benchmarking analysis according to the requirements of the consortium. The benchmarking analysis is carried out both on the computers of the model experiment participants as well as on computers of the project consortium. The performance comparison on different architectures using standard optimization software is intended to ensure on the one hand the transferability of the acceleration strategies between different ESM architectures and, on the other hand, allow a general evaluation.

ewi ER&S is a partner in the research network “Research Network for the Development of New Methods in Energy System Modelling (4NEMO)”. The joint project has two main objectives:1. Coherence, comparability and transparency of energy models should be increased. This applies not only to modeling and publishing of model structures, but also to the consistency of data sets and technology approaches.2. The integration of economic and societal factors and the associated characteristics of uncertainty in energy models should be improved.ewi ER&S mainly examines uncertainties in energy models. For this purpose, an explicit consideration of uncertainties using stochastic optimization is to be implemented in the practice-proven investment and dispatch model DIMENSION. The assumption of perfect foresight is thereby dissolved, and at the same time path dependencies can be identified and risks of uncertainties quantified and evaluated. The illustration of uncertainties is carried out in discrete scenarios, which are determined by random drawing from distribution functions. Since the complexity (especially the required computational resources) of the models is increased by considering a large number of scenarios, the number of scenarios necessary is to be evaluated in order to adequately reflect the uncertainties. In order to simplify the optimization problem, a technique for dynamic scenario reduction, which is based on Monte Carlo simulations and clustering algorithms, is also to be developed. Ongoing model comparisons with the project partners ensure an increase in both coherence and transparency between the energy models.

The aim of the project "FLEXI-TES" is to increase the flexibility of coal-fired power stations via heat storage systems. The possibilities of integrating thermal energy storage (TES) in both new and existing facilities are to be investigated. The technical feasibility as well as the economic efficiency of the integration of such a concept are to be considered. In the research project P-DKW, potentials for the integration of thermal energy storage were identified. Based on this, taking into account current storage technologies, FLEXI-TES is to identify the most promising storage options from the P-DKW project and to investigate them in more detail. The aim is to create the foundations for a pre-engineering study of a power station, where the next step would be to ultimately realize it as a demonstration plant. In the research project, various storage integration concepts and TES technologies are being considered for their ability to make coal plants more flexible and how well they integrate into the overall system. In addition, an evaluation of the favored TES concepts takes place. This assessment considers both the effects on individual subsystems (turbine and steam generator) as well as on the overall power plant system and, in addition to the thermodynamic simulation models, also includes operating concepts, economic assessments, design calculations and material investigations.

Due to the increasing proportion of fluctuating electricity generation from renewable energy sources, an efficient balance between energy supply and demand is required. The medium- and short-term flexibility of electricity demand, so-called demand-side management (DSM), allows for a cost-efficient and socially acceptable restructuring of the energy system. The project SynErgie, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the Kopernikus project, supports the cost-efficient integration of renewable energies and enables Germany to become an international leader in flexible industrial processes. The SynErgie project considers the energy-intensive key production processes of these industries to synchronize their energy needs with the fluctuating supply of renewable energy. Within the project, ewi ER&S deals with market and regulatory structures and models the effects of flexible industrial processes on the energy market, in particular with regard to the evaluation of flexibility and a calculation of the overall energetic potential for greater flexibility in Germany.

The energy policy goals of the German Federal Government require a transformative process of the current energy system. The changed circumstances lead, on the one hand, to deep modifications of electric energy supply structures and, on the other hand, to coupling of the electricity, gas, heat and transportation sectors. Against this backdrop, the ENSURE project performs a comprehensive energy system optimization considering all relevant energy carriers and their respective infrastructure. Primary goal of the project is to investigate on how centralized and decentralized elements of energy supply in the energy system need to be arranged to guarantee a reliable energy supply under all relevant technical and socio-economic aspects that is widely accepted in the population. ewi ER&S models in ENSURE the implications of sector coupling on the European electricity market and investigates on the necessary regulatory framework and future market design, among others regarding the development of the current system of grid charges.

Without a reliable and well-functioning electricity supply, our everyday life and performing economy is barely conceivable. So far, transmission system operators were guaranteeing a reliable supply via nuclear, gas or coal power plants. With the Energiewende, conventional power plants will exit the market and will be replaced increasingly by decentralized, fluctuating power generation plants, such as wind and photovoltaic plants. These plants have to be intelligently networked with each other in order to facilitate an equivalent performance. The partners of the project QUIRINUS focus on planning and realizing a pilot virtual power plant in the region „Rheinisches Revier“ and showing solution paths to utilize its potentials for CO₂-mitigation and climate protection. ewi ER&S is one of two research institutes and eight companies from the region „Rheinisches Revier“ that participate in QUIRINUS. The project is funded with 2.8 million euro by the European Union respectively the European Fund for Regional Development (EFRD) and the German Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Conservation and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MKULNV).

The volatile production of renewable energies leads to a higher need of flexibility to synchronise power supply and demand. Hereby, virtual power plants have a central role as a possible option to provide flexibility. The goal of this project - which is a sub-project of the Virtual Institute Smart Energy (Virtuelles Institut Smart Energy - VISE) - is to identify and analyze new digital business cases for virtual power plants in the context of an increasingly decentralised energy supply.Hereby, ewi ER&S examines the drivers of the need for flexibility in the power system as well as possible pathes of development for economic and regulatory frame conditions. The goal is to forecast the development of the need for flexibility in the power system of the future and to develop revenue-maximizing bidding strategies for various configurations of virtual power plants.

Smart energy technologies offer chances for the transformation of the energy system to cope with challenges of raising flexibility, integration of subsystems and the consumers' wish for individualizes products. However, utilities and service providers only have little information on the determinants of the energy demand behavior especially of households. There is a lack of experience about the technical implementation of new products (e.g. smart home), applications and their usability in the household. Vice versa, a detailed analysis of these expectations and demands of households creates the precondition for a successful diffusion of technology and a fundament for the development of new business cases. In line of the Virtual Institute Smart Energy (Virtuelles Institut Smart Energy - VISE) this sub-project will identify solutions to this and focuses on analyzing private households' willingness to invest in or use smart energy technologies.

The objective of the BRidGE project is to investigate the role natural gas in the German Energiewende (energy transition). Hence, the importance of natural gas as a bridging fuel/technology for an efficient realization of the European and German climate goals is analyzed. Hence, on the demand side, the interdependencies of the natural gas sector to other sectors, especially the electricity and the heating sector, are examined. On the supply side, the focus lies on the supply structure, future infrastructure utilization and geopolitical issues. Based on these investigations, the conflict between using gas as a bridging technology or as a long-term decarbonization strategy will be focused.

Within the context of this project, ewi ER&S investigates the role of flexibility options for the electricity market, the coupling of different sectors as well as the production of alternative fuels. The aim is to provide key insights and contributions on the transformation to a sustainable and innovative design of the power, heat and transport sectors, with particular focus on the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

MODEX-POLINS conducts targeted model experiments to compare the results of different models in terms of the impact of selected policy instruments. The focus is on effectiveness in the short to medium term, as in practice, policy instruments are often assessed thereafter. The exchange between the participating research groups is intended to significantly contribute to the common development of an improved understanding of significant interdependencies and to develop a best practice for impact analysis.