PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD
PLANNING AND LEADERSHIP FOR A BETTER WORLD Most energy research is focused on large-scale projects such as power plants and renewable sources of energy. For smaller-scale energy consumers, such as residential homes, there is a lot of potential research that has gone largely untapped. Now, a German laboratory is dedicated to these studying issues. Aptly named SmartEnergyLab, the innovative lab focuses on small-scale ways to save energy in residential homes.
SmartEnergyLab is part of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Fraunhofer, Germany. Researchers there are committed to reducing local power usage and tailoring consumption to the power grid. According to a statement, questions they ask on a daily basis include “What is the best time of day for utilizing solar power?” and “How can we store the energy produced and possibly feed it back into the power grid at a lucrative price?”
The SmartEnergyLab features many high-tech components to help researchers analyze residential power usage with both real and virtual simulations. (Source: Fraunhofer ISE)
A current project at the lab is focusing on networking and remotely operating home appliances. A smart phone, for example, could control a house’s heating from anywhere.
"Smart energy-systems technology for the consumer end of the distribution grid is the key to sustainable, secure energy supply," explains Christof Wittwer, group manager at Fraunhofer ISE. "Basically, our lab is a simulator for potential energy systems for houses.”
The lab imitates conditions at today’s single-family homes and apartments by using renewable, electric and thermal energy producers. Its smarter components include “a stand-alone 5kW cogeneration plant, a two-cubic-meter buffer storage tank, a photovoltaic simulator, a lithium-ion battery pack, and a lead battery bank.” It also has a charging station for electric vehicles and other equipment.
By combining these components with virtual simulations, the researchers can study nearly any type of energy system to evaluate potential ways to save power within it.
Current projects in the lab include integrating thermal and electrical equipment, testing the function and communication of power-draining devices, and analyzing efficiency within a home.
Researchers are reaching out to energy suppliers and grid operators throughout Germany to educate them about the consequences of decentralized power management. They also argue that tariff models need to be reassessed to consider their impact on the power grid.
In early April, researchers from the joint Fraunhofer Energy Alliance showcased their newest device, The Smart Energy Gateway. This smart-lab component helps organize how data is shared between a customer and an energy provider. The tool monitors heat, water, and electricity consumption to help increase efficiency. But unlike other monitoring devices, the Gateway can also be used to control devices remotely and turn electronics on or off.
“When should the heat pump, the washing machine or the dishwasher come on?” the researchers pondered. “In the future, one worry you won't have when you're on vacation is whether you forgot to switch the stove off.”
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