Consume wisely: How households can help with the energy transition

By Christian Block, Lex Kleren, Sana Murad Switch to German for original article

The energy transition will soon push our power grid to its limits. When heat pumps, electric cars and photovoltaic systems become commonplace, bottlenecks threaten. But there are prospects: The grid operator Creos has spent a year testing with selected participants how, for example, throttled e-car charging can help to relieve the grid - and avoid expensive grid expansion.

Heating by heat pump, driving an electric car, photovoltaics on the roof: this is how as many homes as possible should be equipped in the future if we are to succeed in phasing out fossil fuels. However, the increasing shift to electricity as the sole source of energy also brings challenges.

In its Scenario Report 2040, the electricity grid operator Creos 2022 stated: "Despite a certain degree of electrical storage capacity and even with enabled flexibilities on the demand side, such as smart charging systems, demand-side management or flexible control of heat pumps, total power demand could more than double in the next 20 years." In addition, the volatility of electricity generation from solar and wind coupled with high consumption "will put electrical grids at all voltage levels to the test during peak times".

Creos launched a Living Lab last year to take a closer look at the potential effects. The Journal has already reported extensively on the concept of living labs.

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