With the expansion of wind and solar energy in Germany, the share of fluctuating power in the grids is also growing. For this reason, scientists are increasingly researching the opportunities for integrating different flexibility options in order to also guarantee a stable power supply in the future. Due to its controllability, the use of bioenergy is particularly suited in this context. In the “OptiSys” project, the goal is to determine its optimum cost share in the energy system of tomorrow.

Here, the researchers can draw on the project’s own “E2M2-Bio” electricity market model developed by the University of Stuttgart. With the planned expansion of sector coupling in mind, the area of mobility will also be taken into account, alongside a coupling of the heat and electricity market. The model allows a detailed study of the interaction between bioenergy and other flexibility options, such as storage systems or power-to-heat. As well as calculating the system contribution and technical availability of flexible bioenergy plants, the model also delivers information on the optimum composition of the future German pool of power stations.

In parallel with the development of the model, four workshops will be held as part of the “OptiSys” project, with representatives from politics and interest groups, as well as experts from the fields of bioenergy and energy system modelling. The knowledge gained will flow into the ongoing research work and will contribute to the validity of the results.

The project is being funded for two years, as of the end of 2017, by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). As well as the University of Stuttgart, the Institute of New Energy Systems (Institut für neue Energie-Systeme, nES) at the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI) and the non-profit communication and research company, the gemeinnützige Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Kooperationsforschung DIALOGIK, are also involved in the project.