Area power plant

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In contrast to classic large power plants , the functionality of a surface power plant is based on the intelligent networking of very different decentralized energy systems to form a regional, controllable and physical network. Such a network can consist of energy producers based on renewable energies , energy storage systems and also industrial / commercial consumers.

One advantage here is that well over 90% of the small and medium-sized power plants that operate on the basis of renewable energies are connected to the so-called power distribution network level . Local and city networks are particularly in focus, as the many private generation systems are also located there, for example photovoltaic systems on the roofs of private buildings. The increasing electromobility with its enormous demand for charging points and available electrical power also presents these network levels with major challenges. In contrast to this, the transmission grids at the high voltage level have the task of absorbing the generation capacity of large power plants or offshore wind farms and of bridging greater distances from point to point.

realization

Electricity distribution network

Surface power plants do not produce electricity themselves using their own technology, but they coordinate feed-in and consumption in regional network sections. For this purpose, different energy producers and energy consumers as well as existing storage capacities are networked data-based to form an integrated system. The resulting network combines systems of different types such as B. hydropower plants , wind parks, photovoltaic systems, biogas systems or combined heat and power plants . It is not so important whether the integrated system is an entire wind farm or a small, private photovoltaic system. What is important is the precise interaction of the individual components through a central, cross-distribution network control. This creates a “physically” effective area power plant from many individual energy systems.

Another form are so-called " virtual power plants ", which essentially aim to market electricity and provide system services via the crosspoints of the transmission networks.

The area power plant enables the regional, local control of so-called residual loads , ie possible fluctuations in the supply- dependent (fluctuating) electricity production with predominantly stochastic loads today , before they unbalance the public electricity grid.

In this way, area power plants make an important contribution to increasing regional energy and supply security when converting the power grids to predominantly renewable energy sources.

outlook

In the future, energy storage systems will play an increasingly important role in balancing out fluctuations in the distribution network. In order to provide sufficient reserve power with different control power types - i.e. power to compensate for sometimes very short fluctuations - within the network, area power plants can make use of the decentralized storage capacities in the network area. For example, private operators of photovoltaic systems can not only bring their modules, but also their battery storage systems into such a large-scale power plant. As a result, even ultra-short-term system fluctuations that are reflected in the critical quality of supply can be compensated for.

An example: On a windy day there is a lot of power from the integrated wind turbines available, possibly so much that the grid cannot absorb the amount of energy and distribute it further (grid bottleneck). So that the CO 2 -free energy generation from the wind farm is not sealed off and remains unused, coordination with a flexible electricity consumer, such as B. prevent the climate-damaging shutdown of a cold store via a signal for energy consumption.

An essential prerequisite for the successful planning and operation of area power plants is the complete digitalization of the power grids, which in practice initially means a high basic effort. But area power plants enable new business models and are an important step towards a CO 2 -free world, combined with a secure regional energy system.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ What is a virtual power plant? | Definition. March 12, 2018, accessed on May 17, 2020 (German).
  2. ↑ Katharina Volk: Grid Control. Netze BW, accessed on May 17, 2020 .
  3. ↑ Lausitzer Rundschau: On the way to the area power plant. April 19, 2014, accessed May 17, 2020 .