University of Kassel and partners equip grid operators for electromobility

In which cases is a comparatively expensive grid expansion the best solution? Under what circumstances can charge control improve grid utilization? To what extent can grid expansion be avoided? And: What requirements does controlled charging place on car manufacturers? The "Charging infrastructure 2.0" research project aims to answer questions like these. A key objective is to provide grid operators with a tool that allows them to dynamically adapt their grid planning to the development of electromobility. The project partners also want to create a knowledge base on which the automotive industry can develop product strategies for the charging technology of their vehicles.

Overall economically optimal solutions for grids and vehicles

"The instruments for integrating electromobility into the grids are well known: grid expansion, for example, charging control, bidirectional charging or the coupling of vehicles with the energy system of buildings," says project manager Dr. Bernhard Ernst from Fraunhofer IEE. "Our project is now about bringing all of this together. The aim is to find optimal macroeconomic solutions for grids and vehicles."

In addition to the Fraunhofer IEE, the "Charging Infrastructure 2.0" research project involves the University of Kassel, Thüga, the grid operators Stromnetz Hamburg and Stadtwerke München as well as Volkswagen and Continental as representatives of the automotive industry. In order to involve other grid operators and vehicle manufacturers, the project partners will hold regular workshops to gather suggestions and assessments from other stakeholders and provide information on the interim results of their work. The first event will take place in Stuttgart in mid-August 2019.

More flexibility in grid planning

Grid operators are faced with the challenge of reacting flexibly to the spread of electric cars in their region by expanding the grid and adding intelligence to the grids. Anyone who expands their lines in anticipation of a large number of new vehicles could make a bad investment if the forecast does not materialize. Conversely, grid bottlenecks could occur if more residents than expected buy an electric car. The partners in the research project therefore want to develop tools that give companies more flexibility in grid planning. They are to be tested in practice in Hamburg, Braunschweig and Wiesbaden at the end of the project.

The automotive industry must also take the requirements of grid operation into account when developing the charging technology in its vehicles. A further aim of the project is therefore to support car manufacturers and suppliers, also with a view to the international markets, in finding the optimum technical solutions for the charging components of cars from a system perspective.

In addition, the project partners want to make recommendations for standards - for example on grid connection conditions, for communication between the vehicle and the grid or charging station and for the integration of electric vehicles into a smart home system.

"Both grid operators and the automotive industry are working on making their contribution to the grid integration of electromobility. So far, however, they have been doing this largely independently of each other. Our 'Charging infrastructure 2.0' research project is now bringing both sides together," explains Fraunhofer researcher Ernst.

Contact:

Dr. Sebastian Wende-von Berg
University of Kassel
Department of Electrical Engineering/Computer Science
Wilhelmshöher Allee 73
34121 Kassel
Phone: +49 561 804-6381
Email: sebastian.wende-von.berg[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Contact person:

Dr. Bernhard Ernst
Fraunhofer IEE
Königstor 59
34119 Kassel
Phone +49 561 7294-284
E-mail: bernhard.ernst[at]iee.fraunhofer[dot]de