11 apr Power Grid Upgrades: Speeding up the energy transition
For decades, oil companies haven’t lifted a finger to help the energy transition along, but now they, too, are investing in renewables – at a rate faster than the system can handle. For example, Aral, Germany’s largest gas station chain, plans to install around 20,000 high-speed charging stations by 2030. However, the company criticizes that the power grids in many places are too weak. Retailers have also recently complained that it takes months to get PV installations and charging stations connected to the grid. “Distribution grid operators are increasingly refusing to connect these systems to the grid altogether, citing a lack of grid capacity,” the German Retail Federation HDE laments.
But it’s not always the grid capacity causing delays – bureaucracy, staff and material shortage are also unnecessarily slowing the energy transition in many European countries. Grid expansion takes time, but with intelligent, digital solutions, the existing capacity can be better used and accelerate many steps. Take the Austrian company KNG-Kärnten Netz GmbH, for example. Their quotes for PV and consumption systems are generated automatically, reducing the time it takes from receiving the customer’s request to sending the quote to as little as 30 minutes. This process includes an automated evaluation of the grid connection. It is based on the daily grid calculation of KNG’S entire low-voltage grid.
EM-Power Europe: Digitalization for more transparent grids
Solutions for the modernization, digitalization and flexibilization of the power grid towards creating a smart grid, and the integration of prosumers, electromobility and power-to-heat are provided at EM-Power Europe from June 19–21, 2024, in Munich.
The key topics of the international exhibition for energy management and integrated energy solutions include technologies and services for grid digitalization and control, more accurate generation and load forecasts, and – last but not least – the integration of decentralized systems. The exhibition will be accompanied by the EM-Power Europe Conference that presents the perfect opportunity to discuss the smart integration of decentralized renewable energy installations, grid management, digitalization and flexibilities and much more with international experts.