• Energy Research

The increasing deployment of variable renewable energy sources (VRES) is changing the source regime in the electrical energy sector. However, VRES feed-in from wind turbines and photovoltaic systems is dependent on the weather and only partially predictable. As a result, existing energy sector models must be re-evaluated and adjusted as necessary. In long-term forecast models, the expansion of VRES must be taken into account so that future local overloads can be identified and measures taken. This paper focuses on one input factor for electrical energy models: the electrical load. We compare two different types to describe this, namely vertical grid load and total load. For the total load, an approach for a spatially-resolved electrical load model is developed and applied at the municipal level in Germany. This model provides detailed information about the load at a quarterly-hour resolution across 11,268 German municipalities. In municipalities with concentrations of energy-intensive industry, high loads are expected, which our simulation reproduces with a good degree of accuracy. Our results also show that municipalities with energy-intensive industry have a higher simulated electric load than neighboring municipalities that do not host energy-intensive industries. The underlying data was extracted from publically accessible sources and therefore the methodology introduced is also applicable to other countries.

The increasing deployment of variable renewable energy sources (VRES) is changing the source regime in the electrical energy sector. However, VRES feed-in from wind turbines and photovoltaic systems is dependent on the weather and only partially predictable. As a result, existing energy sector models must be re-evaluated and adjusted as necessary. In long-term forecast models, the expansion of VRES must be taken into account so that future local overloads can be identified and measures taken. This paper focuses on one input factor for electrical energy models: the electrical load. We compare two different types to describe this, namely vertical grid load and total load. For the total load, an approach for a spatially-resolved electrical load model is developed and applied at the municipal level in Germany. This model provides detailed information about the load at a quarterly-hour resolution across 11,268 German municipalities. In municipalities with concentrations of energy-intensive industry, high loads are expected, which our simulation reproduces with a good degree of accuracy. Our results also show that municipalities with energy-intensive industry have a higher simulated electric load than neighboring municipalities that do not host energy-intensive industries. The underlying data was extracted from publically accessible sources and therefore the methodology introduced is also applicable to other countries.

Our study integrates power sector modelling with hydrogen infrastructure analysis and life cycle assessment complementing research on power-to-gas pathway alternatives.

Our study integrates power sector modelling with hydrogen infrastructure analysis and life cycle assessment complementing research on power-to-gas pathway alternatives.

In 2011, the concept of Industry 4.0 was introduced and later adopted by the German government, paving the way for a new industrial revolution in Germany. The high significance of this topic is reflected by the large number of corresponding publications. Additionally, the regional focus of research is widespread on a global level and often differs even at a national level. This paper generates transparency regarding the adoption of the concept of Industry 4.0 by analyzing the locations of main contributors within the research field on an international, European, and German-national level. Further, it examines the regionally different foci concerning the concept of Industry 4.0. Having identified four main aspects linked to Industry 4.0 within a pre-study, a quantitative literature research was conducted based on over 800 published papers. The results were further visualized with QGIS. Looking at the results, it can be concluded that the German research community is virtually the only user of the term Industry 4.0, while other institutions seem to link their research to other related concepts. On a German level, the majority of the analyzed studies originate from Southern and Western Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia and the Aachen/Jülich region, in particular, represent main contributors.

In 2011, the concept of Industry 4.0 was introduced and later adopted by the German government, paving the way for a new industrial revolution in Germany. The high significance of this topic is reflected by the large number of corresponding publications. Additionally, the regional focus of research is widespread on a global level and often differs even at a national level. This paper generates transparency regarding the adoption of the concept of Industry 4.0 by analyzing the locations of main contributors within the research field on an international, European, and German-national level. Further, it examines the regionally different foci concerning the concept of Industry 4.0. Having identified four main aspects linked to Industry 4.0 within a pre-study, a quantitative literature research was conducted based on over 800 published papers. The results were further visualized with QGIS. Looking at the results, it can be concluded that the German research community is virtually the only user of the term Industry 4.0, while other institutions seem to link their research to other related concepts. On a German level, the majority of the analyzed studies originate from Southern and Western Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia and the Aachen/Jülich region, in particular, represent main contributors.

Abstract The emergency power supply functionality of photovoltaic battery energy storage systems (PV BESS) is evaluated based on a case study, which comprises a single-family house in Germany with defined electricity load profile and installed PV BESS. Key factors, which influence the emergency power functionality, are: begin and duration of the blackout, electricity load and PV production profile during blackout and BESS state of charge at the beginning of the blackout. The backup functionality especially depends on the available electricity generation from the PV system and shows therefore a strong seasonal dependency. In case of a blackout, a PV BESS generally makes electricity available, which would not be available to a household without PV BESS. However, the complete coverage of longer blackout periods from PV BESS under the assumption of a normal load profile (100% autarkic system operation) is limited to only a few high PV production periods during the year. In this context, load reduction and load shifting by adapted user behavior during a blackout shows high potential to increase the backup supply functionality and the overall security of energy supply by extending the period during which the reduced household electricity load can be covered from the PV BESS.