Research project IKTres

Developing preventive and corrective measures to compensate for SMGW disruptions and outages

Credit:

BMWE

Designing our energy system on the basis of renewable energy is increasingly leading to decentralised, fluctuating generation and rising electricity demand in low-voltage grids. This makes a reliable, multi-directional communication infrastructure particularly important – primarily via smart meter gateways in smart metering systems, for controlling flexibility options and ensuring system balance. In view of the growing number and use of these interfaces, their functionality and robustness for future grid and system operation must be continuously developed and tested. Funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the IKTres project addresses this challenge. It aims to enable the effective prevention, compensation or mitigation of fault impacts caused by communication disruptions and outages in low-voltage distribution grids.

Research project IKTres

 

Duration

May 2026 to April 2029

Funded by

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy

Project participants

  • DLR Institute of Networked Energy Systems
  • OFFIS e. V. – Institute for Information Technology
  • GridData GmbH
  • Power Plus Communications AG
  • Mainzer Netze GmbH
  • Technische Universität Braunschweig – elenia Institute for High Voltage Technology and Power Systems

IKTres focuses on the local identification and assessment of potential sources of faults and their impacts. By developing measures for fault identification, intelligent operational management strategies and compensation measures for individual systems or home energy management systems (HEMS), the aim is to minimise their influence on the distribution grid. In addition to analysing grid operation, the project also examines the impact on the end customer. This is intended to improve the resilience of critical infrastructure in electrical energy supply systems and strengthen the robustness of grid operation.

The Institute of Networked Energy Systems plays a key role in the IKTres project in identifying critical situations in low-voltage grids. This work is based on existing future scenarios. Specific indicators are then defined to assess the scenarios. Another focus is the development of a method for transferring the identified fault situations into the simulation environment. After these situations have been simulated, strategies are developed to compensate for the effects of these fault situations for certain types of systems, such as wallboxes. Finally, these measures are evaluated in terms of their effects on the stability of the distribution grid and the communication enabled by smart meter gateways. Throughout this process, the aim is always to achieve a balanced compromise between stable grid operation and minimal disruption for end customers.

Our core topics and challenges related to the IKTres project:

Research Group

Flexibilities and Ancillary Services

The Flexibilities and System Ancillary Services research group is investigating which tools, operational management strategies and additional infrastructure are required in order to operate the electricity grids in a stable, reliable and robust manner.

Challenge

Strategies for sustainable energy systems

Energy transition is a dynamic process that must be continuously adapted to new influences such as technical innovations or socially negotiated framework conditions.

Challenge

Grid management: Electricity, gas, and heating grids

To ensure that energy is not only available on the balance sheet, but also in the right place at the right time, electricity, gas, and heating grids must be analysed in anticipation of future challenges, adapted in their operational management and modernised and expanded in terms of infrastructure.

Contact

Flexibilities and Ancillary Services

Research Group
Institute of Networked Energy Systems