Virtuelle kraftwerke: Theorie oder realität?

A virtual power plant consists of decentralized energy stations that generate electricity, such as a mix of photovoltaics, fuel cells, wind mills, compact heat and power plants, and batteries plus a central control for all of these combined. The central control consists of management, forecasting, and primary control unit. In other words, the virtual power plant is not in the form of a conventional power plant. With increasingly better forecasting of the weather, wind, and solar radiation, the reliability of the integration of decentralized facilities in the general electricity supply increases. The discussion covers concepts, aims, and projects; operating concepts of virtual power plants (primary energy saving; peak shaving; load flow optimization; alternative to new power plant construction; and virtual normal output power plant); economic aspects; virtual standard output power plants; power-heat coupling potential; and on balance. The concept of the virtual power plant is now used as a generic term for research projects that dedicate themselves to the operation of decentralized energy generating facilities. With regard to facilities binding, facilities communication, and aspects of supply security and quality, still more research is needed. If simple, cost effective, and efficient communications and energy management systems become available, decentralized electricity generation facilities can be used to undertake cost effective tasks. An overview is provided of present and already concluded projects on virtual power plants in terms of project name, running time, facilities and output, networking, and goals. The projects referenced are the VK, VFCPP, Dospower, PoMS, KonWerl Energiepark 2010, Edison, PEM-Oberhausen, VK Harz/Eichsfeld, I²ERN, and Virtuelles Regelkraftwerk. Flow diagram, tables, graphs, and references.