Saarbrücken, October 12, 2023

Keeping the power grid stable with intelligent control: an innovation project kicks off between Stadtwerke Saarbrücken and Hager Group

On Thursday 12th October 2023, representatives of Stadtwerke Saarbrücken, co.met and Hager Group presented a joint innovation project for grid stability via intelligent energy management at the Stadtwerke premises in Saarbrücken. A test environment is to be set up for a smart grid to finetune intelligent interaction between the grid, actors and buildings. To further the energy transition, Uwe Conradt the mayor of Saarbrücken, Frank Ackermann a Stadtwerke Board Member and Jeanne Forget Managing Director of Hager Germany, are pleased to be working together.

A subtle balance
"To maintain secure grid operations, as grid distribution operators we must be able to intervene when necessary," explains Frank Ackermann. This is because low-voltage grids in particular are not designed for load peaks; this may occur, for example, when electricity is simultaneously used by electric car charging stations and electricity-powered heat pumps. "It is important that control be only the strict necessary so as not to restrict customers’ electricity demands and optimise the exist-ing infrastructure." For an electricity grid to remain stable, electricity generation and consumption must be carefully balanced at all times.

Added value
This is where the joint innovation project takes effect. With Hager Group, Stadtwerke Saarbrücken has found a partner with all the technical prerequisites for the market’s future requirements. Jeanne Forget of Hager Group emphasises that "we are getting buildings ready for the energy transition. Our vision is buildings with intelligent energy management as a key factor for the energy system of the future and to protect the environment. The project aims at gaining new insights into how build-ings and the grid interact. As Stadtwerke Saarbrücken is a strong partner in the region, we want to test the technologies in a real environment with customers in Saarbrücken. With all stakeholders, we develop for customers a sustainable quasi restriction-free solution for stable grid operations. This will create a blueprint for the energy transition in Germany.”

Comprehensive information & data management
The energy management system provides municipal utilities with more comprehensive information and enables more efficient control. Secure data management is being tested and validated in co-operation with the metering service specialist co.met.

Framework & Energy Industry Act
German legislation wants to regulate the temporary reduction of electricity drawn from the grid via the new Energy Industry Act; it is calling on grid operators to implement these requirements in a pragmatic way. Mayor Conradt still sees a need for action and calls for support.

"The national energy policy in Germany engenders considerable additional risks to grid stability. Action is therefore urgently needed. For the municipal utilities as distribution operators, it is funda-mental they be equipped financially to cope with the great challenges of our time. Companies that proactively implement digitalisation on site must be enabled to finance the unprecedented invest-ments needed in networks and digitalisation,” says Conradt. He further adds that "it will therefore be indispensable that investments in networks and digitisation can be subject to international mar-ket interest rates and that costs of municipal public utilities that are in line with tariffs as well as metering and digitisation costs, are fully recognised".

The now independent Federal Network Agency will play an even more important role in the future in creating investment security and shaping the framework conditions so that municipal utilities can sustainably implement the energy transition in the coming decades.

About Hager Group

Hager Group is a leading provider of solutions and services for electrical installations in residential, commercial and industrial buildings with 12,900 employees generating 2.8 billion Euros in sales. Components and solutions are produced at 20 locations around the globe and are distributed to customers in more than 100 countries. Hager Group is an international independent family-owned and run company headquartered in Germany.

One of the industry’s innovation leaders, Hager Group aims at sustainably shaping the electrical world of tomorrow and play a leading role in the field of energy management and distribution. Customers rely on the group’s safe and simple products and solutions which range from energy distribution, cable management and wiring accessories to building automation, security systems and energy management under the brands Hager, Berker, Bocchiotti / Iboco, Elcom and E3/DC.