The ENSURE research project is embedded in the funding initiative “Kopernikus projects for the energy transition” of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. It addresses the energy transition challenges for the infrastructure, i.e., primarily the power grid.

Guiding questions of the research project are:

  1. How will supply tasks develop in the medium to long term, considering changing social, economic, and ecological conditions?
  2. What measures can grid operators take to accelerate the implementation of the energy transition? What framework conditions, for example in regulation, are required for this?
  3. How can technical solutions be efficiently and flexibly implemented in different regions and grid types to ensure grid resilience and increase acceptance of the technologies?

Project Objectives

  • Developing a systemic and cross-sectoral approach for the German energy system with a focus on decentralized structures
  • Creating a modular “Energy Transition Toolbox” with technical solutions for realizing the energy transition in Germany
  • Expanding and completing a co-demonstration platform to validate and demonstrate technical solutions and their interaction

EWI’s role in ENSURE

  • Evaluation of the regulatory ENSURE solutions and integration into the overall picture to derive recommendations for grid operators, regulators, and policymakers
  • Analysis of the regulatory incentive effect of various solution options in grid operation and evaluation of possible reform options for stronger incentivization of innovative solution options
  • Analysis and economic evaluation of the regulatory framework for heating networks, considering historical district heating prices and the associated price adjustment clause
  • Development of a model that examines how different revenue caps and network charges influence the exit behavior of households in gas distribution networks
  • Analysis of the regulatory framework of energy finance products and the interaction of hydrogen and electricity infrastructure from a market and regulatory perspective
  • Analysis of system services with a focus on the market-based provision and regulation of system service markets