bifa-aktuell | 11.03.2019

Energy concepts of today for tomorrow

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© Photo: Fotolia/j-mel

The energy future without greenhouse gas emissions will, to a large extent, be based on the energy source electricity.

Abundant renewable solar and wind energy is available – electricity can be produced from them cost-effectively. In addition, hydropower, agricultural biomass, as well as solar thermal and geothermal energy are used for heating. Energy stores are becoming increasingly necessary, to adjust weather-dependent photovoltaics and wind power to the timing of the demand.

With this view of the future, bifa Umweltinstitut is examining technologies and is developing concepts, in which energy for the heat and mobility sectors is provided by electricity. Energy is stored electrochemically or thermally. The range of variations in approaches already being tried out in Germany on a pilot scale is large, and difficult for the uninitiated to evaluate. Also, implementation requires consideration of the locational options and conditions, and in particular the complex energy legal framework.

bifa performed technology and business model scouting for a potential power-to-gas location. Use of hydrogen in transport and special vehicles emerges as primarily viable. By contrast, in the Fuchstal energy future project, in which bifa is participating, the objective is to achieve overall ecological-economic optimisation of a battery accumulator and a heat store in the context of grid-relevance and security of heat supply. A third approach, followed by bifa in several projects, are local district supply concepts, in which electrically operated heat pumps increase hydrothermal heat or waste heat to the use temperature.

The bifa energy team is ready and available for further technical-economic challenges.

You want more information?
You are welcome to contact me:

Dr. Wolfram Dietz
wdietz@bifa.de