NEMAR – New Concepts for the Future Distribution Grid and Energy System

The German energy transition towards a decentralized, multidirectional infrastructure leads to a change in the energy system structure. A rising share of decentralized renewable energy generation, as well as an increasing need for flexibility and integration of end consumers for Demand-Side-Management tasks causes various new challenges. One special challenge will be to tap potentials for flexibility, which many already believe to exist but not to be profitable yet. The objective of this project is to develop a new mechanism that enables tapping these decentralized flexibility potentials to support the central grid structure.

This mechanism to be developed shall be realized by a new market agent, the Decentralized Market Agent (DMA),whose objective is to efficiently aggregate decentralized flexibilities, generation and demand to optimize the decentralized operation and expansion. The market agent’s goal is to reach an economically viable operation and expansion for a decentralized system while maintaining its system stability and trading electricity at the central markets. The analysis will be based on a model as well as two demonstration projects, where the generation, demand and transmission elements on distribution grid level will be surveyed for their potential to offer flexibility and system services. The fundamental system structure and potential development paths will be investigated using a model-based analysis. Furthermore, short-term operation planning of single elements will be developed. To enable the market agent to conduct such planning, high resolution measurement and data handling is required. A platform architecture will be developed where data collection, processing and utilization are realized. Based on the findings of the model based analysis, the demonstration projects and the platform development, the concept for the new market agent will be evaluated and recommendations for the operation of decentralized energy systems will be derived.