Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck was convinced of the energy system contribution of the pragmatic yet innovative approach to the control, measurement and balancing of small, flexible consumption systems. © decarbon1ze GmbH
Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck was convinced of the energy system contribution of the pragmatic yet innovative approach to the control, measurement and balancing of small, flexible consumption systems.

Digital Energy Transition
Federal Minister Habeck visits pilot installation for the management of micro-flexibilities

26.09.2024

Distributed, flexible electricity consumption systems and accelerated digitalisation of the grids are important for reliable grid operation. In the FlexMC (Flexible Metering and Controlling) project, three partners have therefore developed practical solutions for how the consumption of time-variable systems such as heat pumps, electric vehicles and electricity storage systems can also be individually metered and balanced behind the meter in order to create small-scale flexibility for grid operation.

In this way, the distribution grid will be relieved and the electricity supply in the transmission grid will become more efficient and stable. Electricity customers can conclude individual tariffs for their flexible consumption systems, thereby contributing directly to the energy transition but also benefiting from it. The project partners have developed technical and organisational solutions for the smart metering infrastructure in order to enable a successful mass market for micro-flexibilities in existing buildings.

Dr Arwen Colell, Managing Director of decarbon1ze, Jan Weil, Co-CTO, use the pilot installation in a Vonovia boiler room to explain how small-scale flexibilities can also relieve the energy system behind the meter. from left to right: Stefan Kapferer, CEO 50Hertz, Stefan Ritter, Head of Energy at Vonovia, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck, Dr Arwen Colell and Jan Weil, both decarbon1ze. © decarbon1ze GmbH
Dr Arwen Colell, Managing Director of decarbon1ze, Jan Weil, Co-CTO, use the pilot installation in a Vonovia boiler room to explain how small-scale flexibilities can also relieve the energy system behind the meter. from left to right: Stefan Kapferer, CEO 50Hertz, Stefan Ritter, Head of Energy at Vonovia, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck, Dr Arwen Colell and Jan Weil, both decarbon1ze.

Federal Minister of Economics Habeck visited a pilot installation of the funding project in Berlin Pankow on Monday, 15 July 2024. The team gave him extensive insights into the research content and demonstrated the centrepiece of the project, the combined metering and control module DICAMM, live on site. DICAMM stands for Device-Integrable Control and Metering Module. The FlexMC project team has researched how sector coupling can also be promoted in private households and small businesses using digital solutions. There is still a lack of models suitable for mass billing and payment for flexibility. The DICAMM system is intended to make it possible to control individual appliances for individual flexibilities such as heat pumps, charging stations or PV storage systems in practice, thereby creating tariff incentives.

The grid operator 50 Hertz and the technology partners Theben and Decarbon1ze are involved in the funding project. Theben is developing solutions for the digital energy transition and building automation, while Decarbon1ze is developing digital metering and balancing solutions for small consumption systems. The BMWK has funded the project with around 880,000 euros as part of the energy research programme. (ml)