The Energy System of the Future: Our Living Labs for the Energy Transition

Germany has set itself the goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045. To make that happen, we’ll need to restructure our energy system, since heating and power production are still among the largest sources of CO₂ emissions. Accordingly, Helmholtz Energy, a consortium of several Helmholtz Centers, is working intensively to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable energy system. What sets Helmholtz Energy apart: a unique combination of systemic perspective and broad research focus – not to mention access to an extensive network of research facilities.

Two of the most important facilities are the Energy Lab at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Living Lab Energy Campus (LLEC) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, both of which test energy system technologies and configurations under real-world conditions.

Launched in 2014, the Energy Lab is home to Europe’s largest research infrastructure for renewable energies and focuses on the intelligent networking of sustainable energy providers and storage methods. Flexibility and digitalization are key components of a robust energy supply. And that’s precisely what the research conducted at the Energy Lab is designed to do: improve the system as a whole – i.e. power production, distribution, storage and use – with the aid of new information and communication technologies. Here, various options like chemical energy storage, hydrogen-based solutions and synthetic batteries are coupled with user data and real-time simulations in a real-world environment, where they are tested and optimized. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) is currently using this approach to explore e.g. optimized gas turbines and radiant heating systems at the Energy Lab.

The Living Lab Energy Campus (LLEC) has also worked on the development of highly integrated energy supply systems, since being founded in 2018. However, its focus is on optimally combining the heating, power, and chemical energy storage sectors in an urban setting. A sustainable energy system that chiefly relies on energy sources subject to considerable fluctuation, and on decentralized energy facilities, entails a number of new challenges, as the corresponding energy flows are far more complex. The LLEC employs a broad range of testing assets, e.g. photovoltaics, hydrogen-based technologies, and storage batteries. Here, future urban energy supply scenarios are tested under realistic conditions and optimally combined with the aid of heuristic and forward-thinking regulation strategies.

In addition to being Helmholtz Energy’s calling card, these research infrastructures are prominent “lighthouses” for coordinated collaboration between Helmholtz Centers and industry. Further, they pave the way for developing a safe, affordable and sustainable energy supply.

Bild: KIT