EMIDOS – Empowering Medium-Sized Industrial Companies to Optimize Their Local Electricity Grids Based on Data

As the backbone of the German economy, medium-sized industrial manufacturing companies are particularly affected by the challenges of the energy transition, as they are simultaneously consumers, distribution network operators and, increasingly, producers. Many companies lack the necessary energy data, personnel and know-how to cope with these new technical and energy industry requirements. The aim of the project is therefore to develop digital solutions for the optimized operation of the energy infrastructure in medium-sized industrial companies.

The focus of this optimization is on four urgent problem areas: Grid data validation, infrastructure optimization, voltage quality and reactive power management. In grid data validation, the first step is to ensure a high-quality data basis by designing and installing a needs-based measurement infrastructure. Artificial intelligence algorithms developed in the project validate and correct the recorded energy and grid data. This data is used to optimize the configuration and expansion of the industrial grid. High-resolution measurements are used to develop proposals for improving voltage quality (harmonics, interharmonics, subsynchronous oscillations), which improves the availability and service life of machines. Finally, a concept for a central reactive power controller is being developed, which controls various reactive power sources (capacitor banks, inductors, photovoltaic systems) and can thus compensate for the reactive power of other machines.

The development and validation of the work ranges from simulation in digital twins to application in the real laboratory of the industrial partners. Overall, the measures are intended to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of companies, reduce costs and simplify the integration of renewable energy sources.