Motivation
Given the fact of climate change and the consequent reduction of CO2- emissions, the Greater Region (GR) has set the target to reach 15.2% of renewable energies (RE) in total energy consumption by the end of 2023. In addition to a higher share of renewables, this also results in a heat transition. For this purpose heating systems based on fossil fuels, for the provision of heating energy (space heating, domestic hot water), have to be substituted by more environmentally friendly technologies. The objective is to promote sustainability and to reduce the environmental impact in the context of the economic and spatial development of the Greater Region. The use of market driven, reversible heat pumps in combination with storage systems is not only a measure to support the heat transition, but also offers the possibility of a temporal adjustment of the electricity consumption to the fluctuating generation of RE. Thus, during periods of high renewable generation, electricity can be temporarily stored in thermal energy storage units and the proportion of RE in total energy consumption can be increased. Since both climate change and the expansion of the RE are not regional but international challenges, a cross-border cooperation is indispensable.
Task
The aim of this project is to rethink and reorganize the electricity market design in the Greater Region in order to promote the integration of renewable energies. The Power to Heat technology in combination with adequate thermal energy storage systems forms the basis of the solution. The innovative approaches which will be developed within the framework of the project will be analyzed from an economic, technical and social point of view, and will be followed by three phases (simulation phase, laboratory phase and field test phase) until validation.
Approach
The project is structured in the following stages:
- Survey of the current electricity situation and the current geographic distribution of heating systems, mainly heat pumps, in the Greater Region.
- Develop a cross-border solution to support RE integration.
- Experiments (laboratory tests and field tests).
- Recommendations for an application on a larger scale.
Pubicly funded EU project
PtH4GR²ID is a cross-border co-operation project and is funded under the INTERREG V-A / Greater Region Program of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The consortium comprises representatives from four countries: Germany (Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland), France (Lorraine), Belgium (Wallonia) and Luxembourg and is composed of 19 project partners. Research institutes, ministries as well as industrial enterprises are represented in the consortium.
In addition to the Chair for Energy Systems and Energy Management of the University of Kaiserslautern, the following EU partners are involved in the project:
- University of Liège – BEMS
- University of Kaiserslautern – Architecture
- University of Kaiserslautern – GST
- University of Kaiserslautern – Real Estate
- University of Luxembourg – FSTC
- University of Lorraine – LERMAB
- Institut für ZukunftsEnergieSysteme gGmbH
- University of the Greater Region
- European Institute for Energy Research
- Enovos Luxembourg S.A.
- VSE Verteilnetz GmbH
- DTC
- Energieagentur Rheinland-Pfalz GmbH
- StoREgio Energiespeichersysteme e.V.
- Stiebel Eltron GmbH & Co. KG
- Bouygues Bâtiment Nord Est
- Ministerium für Umwelt, Energie, Ernährung und Forsten Rheinland-Pfalz
- Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit, Energie und Verkehr des Saarlands
- Bundesverband Wärmepumpe e. V.
