Quirinus Control

In the course of the energy transition, more and more generation and consumption facilities are being connected to the distribution grid, for example solar systems or charging stations for electric vehicles. In contrast to conventional power plants, these new technologies are connected to the power grid via power electronics. Power electronic components can have an impact on the voltage quality in the power grid. The Quirinus Control research project therefore aims to investigate ways of monitoring and safeguarding the voltage quality at the medium and low-voltage level of the power grid. As part of the project, a consortium from research and industry is working on the installation of a wide-area monitoring system (WAMS) in the Rhenish mining area, which is used to measure the voltage quality in the short-term range.

Project objectives

• -Establish a distributed measurement system for power quality in the Rhenish mining area
• Evaluate power quality and security of supply
• Analyze business models and regulatory framework conditions of the measurement system

Role of the EWI

The project consists of nine work packages, which deal with the installation of a WAMS and the technical and economic aspects of its operation.

The EWI oversees work package 8, within which an economic and business analysis of the WAMS is conducted. Specifically, sustainable business models for a WAMS a researched. In addition to that, potential incentives and hurdles from the regulatory framework are discussed and possibilities for its adaptation are investigated. An economic analysis considering all costs and benefits serves as a foundation for these activities.