Green electricity is worthwhile – but it has its price. How can the grid be made fit for the new challenges that solar and wind power bring with it? And may we face increased blackouts as part of the energy transition? Bild der Wissenschaft addresses these questions in the May issue.
They are dangerous or harmful to the climate – but from the point of view of the power supply, power plants that derive energy from fossil fuels or nuclear fission are quite practical: they can be built close to the main points of consumption and they guarantee a continuous power supply that can be adapted to the needs. The provision of energy through alternative power sources, on the other hand, rises and falls, for example, with the light or wind strength. The wind turbines are usually located in the north of Germany – the energy-hungry metropolitan areas, however, are in the south and west. It is therefore clear that the energy transition requires an expansion of the power grid and better regulation of pollution.
In the first article of the three-part title topic, bdw author Jan Oliver Löfken takes a look at the technical possibilities that could be helpful in the conversion of the German power grid. It is therefore an important goal to use the potential of the existing network as well as possible to limit the construction requirements for new power lines in our landscape. An important aspect is to avoid overloading the pipe systems. Tricky technology could enable a correspondingly optimized use, the article shows.
Clever technology for network balance
Löfken reports, among other things, about “grid boosters”: These systems could serve as a compensation buffer to improve the availability of north German wind power to the south. Another interesting approach is “overhead line monitoring”. The network operators use weather data and temperature measurements to send as much electricity as possible through the existing lines without overheating. The author also reports on the potential of modern conductor cables and the optimization of technology in the substations. The conclusion is: Germany has the chance to become a model country for the demanding integration of renewables in the power grid.
The second part of the title topic focuses on two special approaches that could lead to greater efficiency and loss prevention when conducting electricity: Researchers are currently exploring the potential of superconducting cables and direct current instead of alternating current. Löfken reports in the article “Without resistance and change” about a project in Essen. For almost five years, an approximately one kilometer long superconductor cable has connected two substations there. The line system, cooled by liquid nitrogen, can conduct five to ten times as much electricity as a conventional cable of the same size. Further plants of this type are planned. But not only modern concepts like this could obviously optimize the power grids: The switch from AC to DC also offers potential due to lower transmission losses and simpler control technology, the article clarifies.
The title topic is rounded off with a look at the extent to which the price of the energy transition could be increased power cuts. As the bdw technology expert Ralf Butscher writes, the previous restructuring has not yet led to more failures. Nevertheless, the increasing complexity of the system shows increased risk potential for blackouts. As Butscher makes clear, the risk can be contained by clever technical measures. With the digitization and networking of the infrastructures, the systems are also more susceptible to cyber attacks, according to the article “Risk Blackout”.
You will find the cover story “Our daily electricity” in the May issue of bild der Wissenschaft, which will be available in stores from April 21st.