What are Energy Hubs and Why are They Needed?
An energy hub is a local collaboration of energy producers and consumers. Energy is locally generated, stored, distributed, and consumed within the hub, for example, in a business park or residential neighborhood.
Energy hubs are essential for:
- Reducing grid congestion: The local energy balance reduces the load on the central power grid.
- Sustainability: Integration of local renewable energy sources.
- Efficiency: Optimization of local energy consumption and production.
- Flexibility: A more resilient energy system that handles fluctuations better.
Problem Statement
The current structure limits collaboration to one field per GTO. The OPZuid project aims to enable cooperation between energy hubs across multiple fields. By linking the EMS systems of different fields, a more integrated energy management system can be developed.
Assignment Description
This graduation assignment focuses on integrating data flows from existing EMS systems to visualize the energy distribution across multiple fields/transformers. The goal is to develop a visualization model that illustrates the effects of cross-field energy management and the impact of new assets on the network.
Important: No new EMS will be developed. The student will collaborate with parties managing the existing EMS architecture to unlock and integrate data flows. The focus is on developing the visualization model and its associated data integration architecture.
Research Questions
The following research questions are central:
- Data Identification: Which data flows from the existing EMS systems are relevant for mapping the energy distribution across multiple fields and visualizing the impact of cross-field control?
- Data Integration Architecture for the Visualization Model: How can a technical architecture be designed for the visualization model to integrate data flows from different EMS systems? This includes:
- Using existing APIs and interfaces from the EMS systems
- Choosing data integration technologies for the visualization model
- Real-time data processing within the visualization model
- Visualization Model Development: How can a visualization model be developed to:
- Visualize the real-time energy distribution across multiple fields and transformers
- Simulate and visualize the impact of adding new assets (e.g., batteries, charging stations) to the network
- Analyze scenarios for optimal energy distribution across fields
- Network Load Visualization: How can the software of the visualization model be developed to visually display the load on the network (especially the transformers) and demonstrate the benefits of cross-field control for the grid operator? This includes:
- Real-time dashboards with relevant network indicators
- Historical data visualizations to identify trends and patterns
- Scenario analysis tools to demonstrate the impact of control across fields
Student Tasks
The student is expected to perform the following tasks:
- Familiarization with EMS Systems: Work with the involved parties to learn about the existing EMS architecture and available data flows.
- Data Mapping and Integration for the Visualization Model: Identify relevant data flows, explore integration possibilities for the visualization model, and implement the connection of data flows from various EMS systems within the visualization model.
- Visualization Model Development: Develop a visualization model that displays energy distribution and the impact of assets.
- Software Implementation (Visualization Model): Develop software components to visualize network load and the effects of cross-field control within the visualization model.
- Demonstration and Validation: Demonstrate the functionality of the developed visualization model and software. Validate the benefits of cross-field control for the grid operator through simulations and scenario analyses using the visualization model.