Subtopic "Integration of renewable energies"

The goal of this subtopic is to provide robust strategies for the local and regional integration of renewable energies towards a sustainable energy system. To address the crucial points of this transformation, a concrete and elaborated understanding of the potential and possible compositions of renewable sources of energy is important. The objective of the subtopic is to model and analyse scenarios with renewable energies on a high temporal and spatial scale together with their impacts on the environment, infrastructures, and institutions. Models developed within POF II will be significantly enhanced, including spatial explicit impact assessments. Analysis will be performed from a city scale (e.g. Karlsruhe) to the national scale of Germany, which is also embedded in the European energy system and linked to some African regions, too. Based on the results, approaches for the integration of renewable energy sources into the energy system will be developed, facing the challenge of meeting the objectives of economic efficiency, social acceptance, security of supply, and environmental conservation. The expected outcome is a set of improved analysis tools and assessment approaches which can be used to guide decision makers in the development of successful strategies for a transition towards a more sustainable energy system based on high shares of renewable energy.