Germany’s transition to decentralized power systems has introduced new challenges in energy management. Fraunhofer IWES is exploring how to size and optimize local energy systems simultaneously, ensuring cost efficiency, system reliability, and effective integration of renewable energy and storage solutions.
Since Germany began its energy transition, the power system has increasingly shifted toward decentralization. Unlike the traditional system, which relied on large, central power plants, the modern system, with its high share of renewable energy, is built around a decentralized structure with distributed power generation. Additionally, energy storage units are playing a growing role, helping to balance the intermittent nature of renewable energy with demand.
Energy storage systems inherently introduce a bidirectional power flow, adding complexity to the operation of distributed power generation. As operation impacts system sizing, at Fraunhofer IWES, we ask: is it possible to size a local energy system while simultaneously optimizing its operation?
