POWER GRIDS
solar parks operate irregularly , thus burdening the high- and medium-voltage grids with fluctuating yield loads .
Oncoming traffic on the electricity highway Rising climate awareness and public funding have led to a steadily increasing number of solar systems on household roofs . They feed their solar energy into the public grid . In this way , the consumer becomes the producer . However , the power grids are not designed for this . Decades of one-way streets have suddenly become a traffic artery with oncoming traffic . In the worst case , this feed-in produces so much electricity on the “ wrong side of the road ” that the grid violates its voltage range . Most of the electrical consumers do not like this at all and either climb out or become damaged .
Kadenbach is a municipality at the gates of Koblenz , Germany . A sunny southern exposure , a large number of new buildings , solar panels on the roof , maybe an electric vehicle in the garage . To date , 27 home owners with rooftop systems feed around 190 kilowatts more electricity into the low-voltage grid on sunny days than the approximately 188 residential houses consume . Kadenbach is thus becoming a power station . Naturally , the local energy provider , Energienetze Mittelrhein , knows exactly what is happening on its grid , from the large power station via the lines into the town through to the distribution stations . But now , there is suddenly movement in the low voltage range .
The energy flows which flow back into the transformer stations of the medium voltage supply cannot be monitored . The task is urgent : Measured values must be obtained that ensure transparency . These measured values must be used to automatically adjust the voltage levels in order to exclude mains fluctuations .
The grid becomes smarter To this end , Phoenix Contact , Jean Müller GmbH , and the software manufacturer PSI Gridconnect joined forces with Energienetze Mittelrhein GmbH & Co . KG to develop a smart
“ We want to look to the future as we expand the grid .”
Peter Wiacker , Head of Asset Management Energienetze Mittelrhein
Partners in the conversion of power grids to smart systems : Jean Müller , Phoenix Contact , Energienetze Mittelrhein , and PSI Gridconnect
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UPDATE 6 / 20 The Phoenix Contact innovation magazine