Research project ENaQ2

Operational optimisation, monitoring and transfer in the Helleheide energy neighbourhood

Credit:

BMWK

Sector integration will play a decisive role in our future energy system in order to utilise existing resources as efficiently as possible. Particularly at the spatial level of urban districts and residential neighbourhoods, there are major advantages to be gained from networking the electricity, heating and electromobility sectors, for example to be able to utilise local grid flexibility potentials for greater system stability. However, concrete measured values and data from the actual use of a neighbourhood are required for the evaluation of corresponding concepts. The Helleheide energy neighbourhood in Oldenburg, which was realised as part of the ENaQ project, provides unique insights into how a climate-friendly and future-oriented energy concept proves itself in practice after conceptual design and construction. Against this background, the follow-up project ENaQ2 (funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) focuses not only on the scientific evaluation of operating modes, but also on further optimising the neighbourhood concept and the intelligent control of the sector-linked energy supply system over several cold periods. The knowledge gained should serve as a model for other neighbourhoods and thus significantly advance the development of sustainable energy systems.

Research project ENaQ2

 

Duration

February 2025 bis January 2030

Funded by

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action

Project participants

  • OFFIS – Institut für Informatik
  • Institut für Vernetzte Energiesysteme
  • Stadt Oldenburg
  • Olegeno Oldenburger Energie-Genossenschaft eG
  • GSG Oldenburg Bau- und Wohngesellschaft mbH
  • GSG Energie GmbH
  • Electric-Special Photronicsysteme GmbH
  • Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg

Based on the realised goals of the ENaQ project, the follow-up project ENaQ2 is intended to ensure the conceptual further development of the Helleheide residential district, which is known as the "real laboratory". After a planning phase lasting several years, some of the planned 300 or so residents have moved into the area by 2022. According to the neighbourhood energy concept, they will be involved in digitalised energy trading, which will ensure that the energy generated on site is also used directly on site as efficiently as possible. Among other things, the ENaQ2 project plans to equip all residential units with a small household appliance called "energy traffic light", which provides information on energy consumption and composition as an extended monitoring system. Other plans in the energy sector include the promotion of direct marketing and dynamic electricity tariffs, the integration of multi-point feed-ins for the local district heating network and a scientifically based evaluation of the extent to which cooperative forms of organisation are suitable for heating networks in the heating transition and how they can be implemented if necessary.

In the ENaQ2 project, the Institute of Networked Energy Systems is focussing on developing improved operational management strategies for the district energy system. This has already been partially implemented in practice in the first ENaQ project phase, after the Institute had modelled the system operation on the basis of synthetic energy requirements. The aim now is to prove that this optimisation of the simulation can lead to further cost and emission savings in practice. To this end, the researchers are applying the previously developed algorithms during operation in order to further develop and improve them after analysing the results with the aim of improving operational management.

One focus of this work is on dealing with uncertainties. In particular, effects caused by weather forecasts or user behaviour are considered a challenge for the system's control algorithms. With this in mind, DLR's Eye2Sky cloud camera network was expanded to include a measuring station directly on the neighbourhood site in order to be able to create more precise short-term forecasts for local energy generation. This measurement data can be used to calculate the yield of the numerous solar systems on the site more precisely, which helps to reduce an uncertainty factor and thus optimise the control algorithms.

More informationen on the topic:

Departments, research groups and challenges related to the ENaQ2 project:

Department

Energy Systems Technology

The Energy Systems Technology department focuses on the interaction between system-relevant technologies within decentralised networked structures, particularly at the low-voltage and medium-voltage level.

Department

Energy Systems Analysis

The Energy Systems Analysis department generates system-analytical knowledge, which we provide across sectors up to the global level and based in part on methods and modelling tools developed in-house.

Research Group

Smart Energy Management

The Smart Energy Management research group develops methods and strategies to optimise the operation and design of future energy systems hand in hand.

Research Group

Energy Meteorology

In the Energy Meteorology research group, we analyse how various observation systems and numerical models can be methodically optimised. We operate our own measurement networks for ground- and satellite-based collection of energy meteorological data to provide optimal information for the energy supply.

Challenge

Balancing energy supply and demand

The simultaneity of electricity generation and consumption is the basis for a stable energy system. While fossil and nuclear power plants have so far been deployed according to demand, the dominant renewable energies in the electricity system are heavily dependent on weather - and therefore not available at any given time.

Challenge

Grid management: Electricity, gas, and heating grids

To ensure that energy is not only available on the balance sheet, but also in the right place at the right time, electricity, gas, and heating grids must be analysed in anticipation of future challenges, adapted in their operational management and modernised and expanded in terms of infrastructure.

Contact

Smart Energy Management

Research Group
Institute of Networked Energy Systems

Energy Meteorology

Research Group
Institute of Networked Energy Systems