The wind and the sun don’t supply energy in line with our demand. This is why in future, electricity consumption must respond to supply, and not the other way round as has been the case. The transmission system operator TransnetBW has now developed a new app to raise awareness amongst electricity consumers that they should adjust their consumption to the power grid’s current capacity. This app will provide updates on the status of the power grid in a specified control area in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg. According to a press release, the StromGedacht app will send push notifications to its users when the network operator predicts a strain on the power grid, making specific suggestions as to how some consumption activities could be shifted to provide effective relief for the grid. For example, people might be encouraged to put on the washing machine later or to charge something earlier.
Adjust private electricity consumption to the power grid’s capacity
“The StromGedacht app is a completely new approach. For the very first time, people will have an opportunity to adapt their electricity consumption to the status of the power grid. This means that private households will be able to actively contribute to system stability,” says Dr. Werner Götz, chairman of TransnetBW’s board of directors. In Germany, private households account for around a quarter of electricity consumption. At the moment, grid operators often need to revert to fossil fuel powered plants when it comes to grid stabilization to compensate for a lack of transport capacity, the press release explains. However, these measures are often costly, which in turn drives up electricity prices. Electricity consumption in line with supply could counteract this. “This innovative app enables us to reduce costs together. But that’s not all: We will also lower CO2 emissions,” says Werner Götz.
The idea and concept behind the app were born as part of the in-house TransNEXT Open Innovation Challenge 2021 and have since been advanced by an interdisciplinary team. (SP)
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