New requirements for the electricity grid
With the rapid expansion of renewable energies and the increasing electrification of the economy and society, the demands on electricity grids are increasing considerably. Conventional grids, which are designed for centralized power generation, reach their limits when decentralized and volatile energy sources such as wind and solar energy dominate.
What makes an electricity grid “smart”?
A smart grid is an intelligent electricity network that uses digital technologies to balance supply and demand in real time. Sensors, control systems and communication platforms make it possible to dynamically control energy flows, detect grid loads at an early stage and react flexibly to changes. This makes the grid more efficient, more resilient and able to integrate significantly more renewable energies.
Battery storage as an integral part of modern grid infrastructure
- Grid stabilization: Battery storage systems compensate for short-term fluctuations between generation and consumption. They absorb surplus energy when a lot of electricity is generated from renewable sources and feed it back into the grid when needed.
- Congestion management: Targeted intermediate storage of energy can prevent grid overloads and reduce the need to expand expensive grid infrastructure.
- Increasing flexibility: Battery storage systems increase the flexibility of the overall system by shifting energy over time and thus facilitating the integration of wind and solar power.
- Support in the event of grid bottlenecks: In regions with high levels of renewable electricity generation, battery storage systems help to absorb local surpluses and avoid bottlenecks in the distribution grid.
Digitalization and control: Efficient grid operation through intelligent systems
Digital platforms and automated control solutions are essential to fully exploit the benefits of battery storage in the smart grid. They enable the precise control of charging and discharging processes, coordinate the operation of different storage locations and ensure an optimal balance between generation and consumption.
Today, the integration of digital technologies into electricity grids is far more than just a theoretical concept. By 2024, over 1.5 million intelligent metering systems (smart meters) had already been installed in Germany, enabling the precise recording and control of energy flows. These systems form the basis for automated control solutions that efficiently integrate battery storage systems into the grid.
A concrete example: In several pilot projects, for example in Schleswig-Holstein and Bavaria, battery storage systems are coordinated via central digital platforms. These platforms analyze data on electricity generation, consumption and grid load in real time. On this basis, charging and discharging processes of the storage systems are automatically controlled in such a way that grid overloads are avoided and renewable energies are used optimally. In the “enera” project, for example, the local use of wind power could be increased by up to 30 percent because storage systems specifically absorb surpluses and release them when required.
The coordination of several storage locations is also technically possible today: decentralized battery storage systems are bundled via virtual power plants and used like a large power plant on the electricity market. This improves grid stability and opens up new revenue models for operators.
Future prospects: Battery storage as a building block of the energy transition
With the further expansion of renewable energies and the electrification of the transport and heating sectors, smart grids and powerful battery storage systems are becoming increasingly important. Forecasts by the International Energy Agency (IEA) predict that the battery storage capacity installed worldwide will increase fivefold by 2030. In Germany, over five million home storage systems are expected to be installed in the private sector alone by 2030.
Battery storage systems are now able not only to compensate for short-term fluctuations, but also to provide energy for several hours or even days. Modern lithium-ion storage systems achieve efficiencies of over 90 percent and can respond to grid signals within milliseconds – this is crucial for stabilizing the power grid when there is a high feed-in of renewable energy.
Innovative business models such as the marketing of primary control power or participation in intraday trading make battery storage systems economically attractive. At the same time, the cost of battery storage systems has fallen by around 80 percent in the last ten years, further accelerating their spread.
Conclusion
The combination of smart grids and battery storage systems forms the backbone of a modern, sustainable energy system. The energy transition can only be successful and economical with smart grids and flexible storage solutions.
