The Lake Constance Foundation reports at STORENERGY on how municipalities can shape the energy transition with sector coupling. Lea Unterreiner from the Freiburg Energy Agency and Dimitri Vedel from the Lake Constance Foundation will present the results of the CSSC Lab project on 18. 11. 2021. The presentation will focus on the “Model Solutions” and “Fact Sheets” developed by the Lake Constance Foundation. They describe how small and medium-sized municipalities can use resources efficiently with energy storage and sector coupling and further advance the energy transition. “These approaches are a first simple approach for municipalities that have few staff to a complex topic,” says Dimitri Vedel. “An online tool, workshops and so-called demo centres provide further support and show how implementation can succeed,” Vedel continues.

STORENERGY is already taking place for the fifth time. On both congress days, November, 17th and 18th 2021, innovative storage technologies, industry models, solutions for sector coupling and grid integration will be presented.

Another focus this year is the future topic of hydrogen. One third of the approximately 40 expert presentations will focus on the possibilities of hydrogen. “It has been known for decades that hydrogen can play an important role in the decarbonisation of the energy industry. However, it must be clear that hydrogen is not the answer to all questions. For example, the electricity to produce hydrogen must first be produced cleanly. The expansion of renewable generation structures must therefore remain a high priority,” explains Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ulf Hermann, Managing Director of the Solar Institute Jülich. “Our structures must move away from large producers towards decentralised prosumers,” Prof. Hermann continues. Prosumers are consumers who also act as producers.

In this context, Dr Verena Fluri of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg emphasises that fossil-fuel power plants have high operating costs and comparatively low investment costs. Renewable energies, on the other hand, typically have high investment costs and low operating costs. “Our current electricity market is based on offers at operating costs, which is why we need to change the design in the long term,” explains Dr Fluri. The framework conditions must be a ‘level playing field’ that ensures equal opportunities for all technologies, Prof. Dr. Niklas Hartmann from the Institute for Energy Technology at Offenburg University of Applied Sciences is convinced. The intelligent networking of all elements of energy supply is an important aspect here.

The entire congress programme and livestream entry tickets are available at www.storenergy.de. The Congress offers also a English speaking part of the programme.