Smart grids will shape the energy system of the future

Enabling the energy system of the future

In partnership with Ericsson, Innogy and 450connect, Germany

Case

Challenge

By 2050, there will be an 80% increase in RES (renewable energy systems). Numerous new wind and solar plants must be integrated efficiently into energy distribution grid systems to coordinate on consumption side, to communicate safely and to enable IoT innovation and emergency voice.

Solution

Test a secure and blackout-resilience wireless communication network based on LTE450Mhz for rural areas, enabling high available communication for smart grids, including future IoT and emergency Voice services for utilities with critical communications needs.

Impact

Decentralization, digitization and decarbonization shape the energy system of the future, based on smart grids and on future IoT and emergency voice solutions.

Innogy, 450connect and Ericsson test LTE450 in Germany

The companies innogy, 450connect and Ericsson have started a pilot project for the construction and operation of LTE450 mobile radio network. A first radio site is already on air in the area of the DSO Westnetz (part of innogy group) in Werne (North Rhine-Westphalia). In the upcoming months the parties plan to test voice communication and in particular the smart grid applications. These play a crucial role in the digitization of the electric grid power system. The aim of the joint project is to showcase the usability of the standardized LTE technology in the 450 MHz frequency band for the communication needs of the energy industry.

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Supporting the Sustainable Development Goals

The highlighted Sustainable Development Goals are included in the project.

“We have already achieved a lot in the energy transition, but the biggest challenges are still ahead of us. By 2030, the share of renewable energy will increase to 65 percent, by 2050 even to 80 percent. For this, in the coming decades, numerous new wind and solar plants will be built. In order to be efficient in the power distribution systems, to smoothly integrate the fluctuating power demand and to be able to communicate even in the black-out case, the energy industry needs a reliable communication network. The 450 MHz radio network is well suited for this due to its technical characteristics.”

- Dr. Oliver Schmitt, Head of Network Technology & Security at Innogy SE.