FZI Living Lab Smart Energy
Intelligent solutions for tomorrow’s energy system
The FZI Living Lab Smart Energy provides an interdisciplinary research environment for developing solutions for the future energy system. The entire FZI House of Living Labs is equipped with modern technology for providing and storing thermal and electrical energy, as well as flexible use of thermal and electrical energy. This allows developed energy management systems and new processes to be tested, evaluated, and demonstrated under practical conditions.
Our applied research is motivated by the increasing share of renewable energy sources, which greatly impacts grid stability. Among other things, we are currently working on decentralized energy management in neighborhoods, the power grid integration of electric vehicles, and the further development of the smart meter ecosystem. The goals are efficient coordination of energy supply and demand, avoiding grid bottlenecks, and providing system services for the power grid.
The focus of our research is on the following topics:
- IT-based energy management in buildings, properties and neighborhoods
- Decentralized optimization of energy supply and consumption
- Grid-serving and market-oriented use of energy flexibility
- Optimization in the field of e-mobility and (bidirectional) charging management
- Design of communication interfaces for the integration of energy systems
- Sector coupling for the overarching optimization of electricity, heating, cooling, gas and mobility
- Further development of the smart meter ecosystem for scalable and secure control
- Implementation of resilient system architectures for supply security
Our equipment
The operation of a smart meter gateway infrastructure enables the practical development and evaluation of grid-serving and market-oriented energy management solutions. We have various smart meter gateways and modern metering devices in use and can configure them in the field like meter operators. We can map interfaces between energy management, energy supplier and user with hardware and software components. Aspects of communication, optimization and visualization can thus be tested realistically in target environments. In addition, the FZI Living Lab smartHome/AAL is expanding communication interfaces of household appliances for integration into energy management.
Further information
Einblicke in das FZI Living Lab Smart Energy
Example project: Cellular energy management in the cell network in Karlsruhe
