Virtual power plants: decentralized energy, centrally controlled – Stable grids through networking – Optimizing electricity production and consumption – Image: Xpert.Digital
Virtual power plants: How the energy supply of the future will become smarter
Future technology: Virtual power plants efficiently network renewable energies
Virtual power plants are innovative systems comprised of numerous decentralized energy producers and consumers. These units, which can include photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, biogas plants, hydroelectric power plants, and battery storage systems, are interconnected through intelligent control technologies. The goal is to coordinate and optimize electricity production and storage to ensure a stable and efficient power supply.
Benefits and advantages of virtual power plants
1. Market participation and flexibility
Virtual power plants enable participating facilities to actively participate in the electricity market. They pool the generated energy and market it jointly, which also gives smaller producers access to market segments such as wholesale trading or balancing power. This flexibility is particularly valuable for integrating renewable energies into the electricity grid.
2. Stabilization of the power grid
Due to their decentralized structure, virtual power plants can balance local load fluctuations and react quickly to grid fluctuations. This contributes to stabilizing the electricity grid by balancing oversupplies or shortages of electrical energy.
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3. Reduction of CO2 emissions
Since virtual power plants are often based on renewable energies, they contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. They offer a sustainable alternative to conventional power plants, which often use fossil fuels.
Reducing electricity costs
Virtual power plants can reduce electricity costs in various ways:
Dynamic electricity tariffs
By using dynamic electricity tariffs, households can benefit from lower prices by maximizing their electricity consumption during periods of low prices. This can lead to significant savings.
Optimizing self-consumption
Virtual power plants allow households to optimize their self-consumption of solar power and draw additional electricity from the grid when prices are low. This reduces the need for expensive grid electricity.
Participation in the energy market
Households can generate additional income by participating in the balancing power and intraday markets. Virtual power plants provide the infrastructure to utilize these markets efficiently.
Virtual power plants offer a promising solution to support the energy transition by efficiently integrating renewable energies while simultaneously reducing electricity costs for consumers.
The control of a virtual power plant
A virtual power plant is controlled by a central control system, which serves as its technological core. This system coordinates and monitors the numerous decentralized energy producers, consumers, and storage units integrated within the virtual power plant. Special algorithms and secure data connections are used to ensure real-time communication between the various components.
Key components of the control system:
Guidance system
The central control system collects and processes all relevant data from the connected systems. This includes information on current output, system readiness, available power bands for balancing energy, and other parameters such as gas or heat storage levels.
Data processing
The data is processed at server locations that use redundant systems to ensure reliability. This infrastructure makes it possible to automatically switch to backup systems in case of malfunctions.
Algorithms and forecasts
Optimization algorithms are used to create operating schedules for electricity producers. These algorithms take into account market data, such as electricity prices and weather forecasts, to enable efficient and profitable marketing of the energy.
How a virtual power plant works
Real-time control
The control system enables flexible management of electricity production and consumption. If necessary, it can react quickly to grid fluctuations by ramping up or down generation plants or utilizing storage facilities.
Integration and marketing
By pooling the output of many small units, virtual power plants can participate in the balancing energy market and profitably market their flexibility. This is particularly important for integrating renewable energies into the energy market.
Overall, the intelligent control of virtual power plants offers an efficient way to integrate renewable energies into the electricity grid while simultaneously reacting flexibly to market changes. This contributes to stabilizing the electricity grid and supports the energy transition through a sustainable energy supply.
Private individuals can participate in virtual power plants.
Private individuals can participate in virtual power plants by integrating their own decentralized energy generation and storage units, such as photovoltaic systems and battery storage, into such a system. Here are the key steps and aspects of how private individuals can participate:
1. Installation of suitable technology
Private individuals need a photovoltaic system or other renewable energy sources and possibly a battery storage system to store excess electricity and feed it into the grid when needed.
2. Networking with a virtual power plant
The systems must be networked with a virtual power plant. This is achieved via intelligent control systems that coordinate and optimize the energy flow. Companies like Sonnen offer such networking by combining the systems into a virtual large-scale battery.
3. Participation in the energy market
By participating in the virtual power plant, private individuals can indirectly participate in the energy market. The virtual power plant pools the energy of several small producers and markets it jointly, which also brings financial advantages for the participants.
4. Use of smart meters
To accurately measure energy feed-in and consumption, the use of smart meters is necessary. These devices record energy data in real time and enable efficient management of energy flows.
5. Financial incentives
Participants in virtual power plants can benefit from additional revenue by selling their surplus electricity or by providing balancing power to stabilize the grid.
Participation in virtual power plants allows private individuals to actively contribute to the energy transition while also benefiting financially by becoming part of a larger energy network.
Participation in a virtual power plant offers several advantages for private individuals.
1. Financial advantages
- Revenue from the energy market: For the first time, private individuals can participate in the revenue from electricity auctions by taking part in virtual power plants. This was previously reserved mainly for large industrial suppliers.
- Profit sharing: Some providers, such as “sonnen”, offer their customers a share of the profits from the joint marketing of the generated electricity. This can generate additional income for households.
2. Cost savings
- Lower electricity prices: By using electricity at times of low prices, made possible by the flexibility of virtual power plants, households can reduce their energy costs. This also applies to charging electric vehicles at off-peak times.
- Increased self-consumption: Integration into a virtual power plant can optimize the self-consumption of self-generated electricity and thus reduce dependence on more expensive grid electricity.
3. Contribution to grid stability and the energy transition
- Grid stabilization: By providing balancing power, virtual power plants contribute to stabilizing the electricity grid. This is particularly important during periods of high renewable energy feed-in, such as strong winds or intense solar radiation.
- Promoting the energy transition: By becoming part of a virtual power plant, private individuals actively support the energy transition by helping to use renewable energies more efficiently and to replace fossil energy sources.
4. Technological advantages
Smart meters and intelligent controls: Participants often receive modern technologies such as smart meters, which enable precise monitoring and control of energy consumption. These technologies are frequently available free of charge or at a reduced price as part of participation.
Participation in a virtual power plant offers private individuals not only financial incentives, but also the opportunity to actively contribute to stabilizing the electricity grid and promoting the energy transition.
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