Duration: 1.3.2012 until 28.2.2015

Funding: State of Lower Saxony (VW-Vorab)

In sub-project 1 of the Smart Nord state research network, methods were developed to provide the required active power in the distribution grids in a decentralised manner as close to consumption as possible through plant networks and at the same time to adjust consumption to the forecast generation as accurately as possible. Information (e.g. system models) as well as planning and control are decentralised and are largely implemented using agent-based self-organisation methods.

With dynamically forming networks that adapt to changes in electricity generation, electricity demand and grid status, Smart Nord goes far beyond the concept of previous virtual power plants. The work of the Environmental Informatics department focussed on two main topics:

• WP 1.3: Methods for optimising the deployment plans of the networks with distributed plant models
• WP 1.4: Distributed coordinated stabilisation of networks in the event of short-term deviations from the schedule of individual plants

The project was carried out as part of the Smart Nord research network of the state of Lower Saxony, of which Prof. Dr Sonnenschein was the spokesperson until 31 March 2014.