Requirements for an Open Digital Platform for Interdisciplinary Energy Research and Practice

Energy systems are changing rapidly and energy research is fundamental to enable and optimize this change involving academics, practitioners, and the public. Therefore, an open digital platform to share knowledge and experiences is crucial for the energy sector. We identify and discuss requirements from 36 semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders for a platform based on five essential elements. The competence element enables researchers and developers to find suitable partners for their research and practice projects, and the best practices element delivers ideas to structure cooperative energy research. The repository element helps to find available data and frameworks for energy systems’ simulation and optimizations. Frameworks and models are coupled by using the simulation element. Last, results and contents from the energy community can be published within the transparency element to reach various interested stakeholders. We discuss implications and recommendations as well as further research directions

Choosing the right model for unified flexibility modeling

Using aggregated flexibility from distributed small-scale power devices is an extensively discussed approach to meet the challenges in modern and increasingly stochastic energy systems. It is crucial to be able to model and map the flexibility of the respective power devices in a unified form to increase the value of the cumulative flexibility from different small-scale power devices by aggregation. In order to identify the most suitable approach for unified flexibility modeling we present a framework to evaluate and compare the advantages and disadvantages of already existing modeling approaches in different levels of detail. As an introduction to flexibility modeling and as a basis for the evaluation process we initially provide a comprehensive overview of the broad range of flexibility models described in scientific literature. Subsequently, five selected modeling approaches allowing the generation of a unified flexibility representation for different power devices are presented in detail. By using an evaluation metric we assess the suitability of the selected approaches for unified flexibility modeling and their applicability. To allow a more detailed performance analysis, the best evaluated models are implemented and simulations with different small-scale devices are performed. The results shown in this paper highlight the heterogeneity of modeling concepts deriving from the various interpretations of flexibility in scientific literature. Due to the varying complexity of the modeling approaches, different flexibility potentials are identified, necessitating a combination of approaches to capture the entire spectrum of the flexibility of different small-scale power devices. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that a complex model does not necessarily lead to the discovery of higher flexibility potentials, and recommendations are given on how to choose an appropriate model. © 2022, The Author(s)

Towards Improved Findability of Energy Research Software by Introducing a Metadata-based Registry

Research software in the energy domain becomes increasingly important for the analysis, simulation, and optimization of energy systems and supports design decisions in the required transition of energy systems to tackle the climate crisis. To make energy research software (ERS) more findable, it should be described with metadata following the FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) principles and be registered in a common registry. To this end, we motivate and present a concept for a metadata-based registry for ERS which should enable researchers to easily add new ERS as well as to find new ERS

Choosing the right model for unified flexibility modeling

Abstract Using aggregated flexibility from distributed small-scale power devices is an extensively discussed approach to meet the challenges in modern and increasingly stochastic energy systems. It is crucial to be able to model and map the flexibility of the respective power devices in a unified form to increase the value of the cumulative flexibility from different small-scale power devices by aggregation. In order to identify the most suitable approach for unified flexibility modeling we present a framework to evaluate and compare the advantages and disadvantages of already existing modeling approaches in different levels of detail. As an introduction to flexibility modeling and as a basis for the evaluation process we initially provide a comprehensive overview of the broad range of flexibility models described in scientific literature. Subsequently, five selected modeling approaches allowing the generation of a unified flexibility representation for different power devices are presented in detail. By using an evaluation metric we assess the suitability of the selected approaches for unified flexibility modeling and their applicability. To allow a more detailed performance analysis, the best evaluated models are implemented and simulations with different small-scale devices are performed. The results shown in this paper highlight the heterogeneity of modeling concepts deriving from the various interpretations of flexibility in scientific literature. Due to the varying complexity of the modeling approaches, different flexibility potentials are identified, necessitating a combination of approaches to capture the entire spectrum of the flexibility of different small-scale power devices. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that a complex model does not necessarily lead to the discovery of higher flexibility potentials, and recommendations are given on how to choose an appropriate model

Development of Scenarios for Modelling of Districts' Energy Supply and Analysis of Interdependencies between Energy and ICT

The increasing digital transformation in energy supply systems allows greater control and possibilities for performance optimization and efficiency. This is accompanied by increasing complexity of the system, and thus requires the evaluation of interactions between energy and information and communication technologies (ICT) involved. One of the goals of the project “Zukunftslabor Energie” (Future Laboratory “Digitalization Energy”) is to analyze these interactions in highly integrated digitalized systems for district energy supply. For this, simulation studies must be conducted to configure flexibilities. A first step is to define appropriate analysis scenarios. Requirements for these scenarios, the related models, and one of the considered scenarios are described in this paper. This allows to discuss the system, its boundaries, its components, and their interactions. Future research requires an analysis and discussion of requirement specifications, data collection and treatment, model construction, model implementation, and model validation

Development of Scenarios for Modelling of Districts' Energy Supply and Analysis of Interdependencies between Energy and ICT

The increasing digital transformation in energy supply systems allows greater control and possibilities for performance optimization and efficiency. This is accompanied by increasing complexity of the system, and thus requires the evaluation of interactions between energy and information and communication technologies (ICT) involved. One of the goals of the project “Zukunftslabor Energie” (Future Laboratory “Digitalization Energy”) is to analyze these interactions in highly integrated digitalized systems for district energy supply. For this, simulation studies must be conducted to configure flexibilities. A first step is to define appropriate analysis scenarios. Requirements for these scenarios, the related models, and one of the considered scenarios are described in this paper. This allows to discuss the system, its boundaries, its components, and their interactions. Future research requires an analysis and discussion of requirement specifications, data collection and treatment, model construction, model implementation, and model validation