The core idea behind the EnergieForschungSaar (EnFoSaar) research project is to develop a scientifically sound yet application-oriented methodology to drive forward the transformation of the Saarland’s energy sector and the research landscape required to keep pace with the speed and momentum of the impacts of climate change and the (inter)national energy transition. An efficient, climate-friendly energy supply makes a decisive contribution to shaping industrial structural change in the Saarland. The DFKI is working on the field of multi-energy systems. Multi-energy systems consider electricity, heat and hydrogen, as well as the sector coupling that must be taken into account, in their entirety. The aim is to develop models (digital twins) and AI methods to design multi-energy systems and to develop, investigate and evaluate optimal control algorithms over the entire lifetime for any boundary conditions (e.g. changing legal frameworks). The focus of this area of expertise lies on the standardisation of methods, the integration of digitalisation processes in the energy sector (e.g. measurement data acquisition and storage), and the development and application of AI methods (e.g. in measurement data processing). Digitalisation and AI enable better integration of renewable energies, help meet rising energy demand and ensure grid stability in an increasingly decentralised and volatile energy landscape. This involves an intermodal/intersectoral systems approach, such as
• (Decentralised) generation: (waste) heat, electricity, hydrogen
• Sector coupling: Power2X, Vehicle2X, CO22X, CO2 pipelines
• Storage: electricity, H2, heat,
• Flexibility: heat pumps, BEVs (battery electric vehicles)
Also important are the monitoring of energy grids, the forecasting and management of feed-in and consumption, extensive automation of multi-energy systems, anomaly detection and fault prevention, increasing the resilience of the electricity grid, the identification, forecasting and utilisation of flexibility options, and the integration across different sectors (electricity, heat, mobility) and areas of use (households, commerce, industry).