azare Research Center

In the Groß-Gerau region, municipalities are required to achieve CO2 reductions and improvements in air quality through current and future measures. This research project aims to help achieve these goals by replacing “gray electricity” with self-generated “green electricity.”  The goal is to involve municipalities and municipal enterprises as both producers and consumers within the framework of a cooperative model. The project that has applied for funding will also explore the option of long-term storage, for example in the form of hydrogen. The regional use of the electricity generated there will be promoted, and the power grid will be stabilized by shifting peak loads. As a result—in light of the expected additions to loads and generation facilities—grid expansion within the local grid area can be avoided, and grid reinforcement at the step-up and high-voltage levels can be delayed. 

Currently, municipal PV systems are often expanded only up to 99 kWp, as direct marketing is perceived as an obstacle. Since electricity sales are to be conducted through the cooperative model, the size of the installations will no longer be artificially limited in the future; instead, the entire available area can be utilized, and existing installations can even be expanded if necessary. In addition to the aforementioned utilization for a cooperative-based municipal long-term storage project, a webinar organized by the VKU working group on “decentralized energy supply” is planned for distribution system operators and balancing group managers.