Model based analysis of the integration of intermittent renewable electricity generation by enhanced coupling of power, heat, gas and transport sector (multi sector coupling)
Duration: July 2016 until December 2019
Funded by: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi)
Project Participants: Fraunhofer-Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Angewandte Materialforschung (IFAM) Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen (GWI)
Project Manager at the Institute of Networked Energy Systems: Dr. Hans-Christian Gils
Project Description: Until 2050 the share of renewables is projected to rise to 80% of German electricity generation and to 60% for overall energy consumption. In order to integrate this new and partially intermittent electricity generation while maintaining the security of supply it is necessary to render generation and demand largely flexible. At the same time achieving a high share of renewables in the heat and transportation sector requires a substantial substitution of far fossil fuels. Methodological developments of the existing energy system models are required for the analysis of renewables system integration via coupled electricity, gas, heat and transportation sectors. This concerns above all techno-economic analyses considering several energy economic perspectives (e.g. decentralised vs. centralised, micro- vs. macroeconomic). The research project MuSeKo addresses precisely this. It aims at modelling and assessing the flexibility that arises from the combination of different kinds of technologies. Possible development paths are taken into account via scenarios with different energy systems and framework conditions.