Germany launches CACTUS project for future grid stability

The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg is conducting research into solutions for greater latitude in renewable energy, electromobility and heat pump projects, working with eight other partners.

The project aims to facilitate Germany’s energy transition without jeopardising grid stability and without having to wait for future grid expansion. The three-year project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the 7th Energy Research Programme.

Its brief is to coordinate the use of energy by consumers and the utilised capacity of the grid with energy market instruments, harnessing the technologies like smart meters and intelligent control of PV storage systems and loads.

As countries transition towards renewables, one of the greatest challenges for the electricity sector will be a surge in sales of electric cars and heat pumps that causes a sharp rise in total electricity consumption along with a demand that is not evenly distributed throughout the day. The project will examine this issue.

Local supply must be closely coordinated with the grid and the energy market in order to avoid congestion. This requirement can be met by flexible charging times for electric vehicles or even delayed charging, for example, or by using electricity generated locally by photovoltaic systems. Heat pumps can also be switched off at certain times because the home will not cool down if the heat pump is off for an hour or so at a time.

“The transformation of the energy system poses new challenges for everyone involved. The CACTUS project is in tune with the needs of our time, and we are searching today for the solutions for tomorrow in order to offer grid operators the earliest and best possible support,” said Carola Krug from VIVAVIS AG, one of the companies funding the project.

“This project will allow us to take the research findings and run trials with the four public utility companies, directly assessing their viability in practice and so facilitating further improvements. The project consortium has the best credentials for success over the next three years, both in making a contribution to research and in developing solutions in step with actual practice.”

CACTUS — Connect, Assist & Control: Transparency and Stability for smart energy systems

CACTUS will use targeted communications and visuals showing points of congestion to support grid operators in their day-to-day work. The primary goal is to prevent bottlenecks from occurring in the grid in the first place by solving the problem in advance through price signals and the use of flexible consumers. This will involve an algorithm designed to adapt price signals and effect a high degree of probability of staying within the limits for stable grid operation, despite all the fluctuations in generation and consumption patterns, and an avoidance of shutdown measures — even if some customer installations are not willing or able to react to the price signals.

Image credit: iStock.com/Дмитрий Ларичев