SOFTEC Chair participates in research project for intelligent sector coupling to reduce CO2 emissions

The energy transition is changing the way energy networks are used and have to be built. Smart grids are an essential building block for the development of a sustainable grid infrastructure. To support this development, the SOFTEC Chair is contributing its know-how in the future project "InSekt".

The aim of the research project is to optimise the integration of a wastewater heat pump into the heat network of the Lemgo municipal utility with the help of modern software. In the future, the heat pump will feed waste heat from a sewage treatment plant into the heat network of the municipal utilities, thereby making a significant contribution to reducing CO2 emissions, as the optimised use of the heat pump can reduce the need for fossil fuels for heat supply.

The project is based on the Energy Option Model (EOM) concept developed by the University of Duisburg-Essen, which provides the basis for communication, simulation and intelligent control of network components. For this purpose, an autonomous software component is developed for each network component, which provides a digital twin of the energy component. The interaction of the heat pump with the other network components is first analysed in simulations. Based on the results, the optimised control of the system is then carried out in real operation.

Within the framework of the project, the effects on the power grid resulting from the reduced use of CHP plants are also taken into account. The aim is to achieve a stable, efficient, demand-covering and, at the same time, climate-friendly operation of the overall system consisting of electricity and heat grids. In the medium term, SOFTEC plans to develop an interoperable, sector-coupled smart grid solution with other partners.

The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) 2014-2020 within the framework of the climate protection competition "EnergieSektorenkopplung.NRW". The partners include the Chair of Electrical Power Supply Technology at the University of Wuppertal, the Chair of Energy Technology at the University of Duisburg-Essen and Stadtwerke Lemgo GmbH. The project runs until May 2021.