Together with partners, Salzburg Research developed a system architecture for sustainable regional energy management. The aim is to use electricity from different sources as well as possible flexibilities of consumers in such a way as to increase the degree of autonomy of a region.

Energy management currently operates on a large scale and is controlled centrally. Companies and households consume exclusively at their own discretion.

The new prototype for regional power management aims to use savings potential and support zero-emission mobility by improving the coordination of power generation and consumption as well as intermediate storage of energy.

Using a general overview generated from consumption forecasts, short-term optimization can be achieved, and some loads can be brought forward or postponed. The participants retain full control. Information about power surpluses or shortages allows them to make individual decisions, for example, either to switch on the pool pump earlier or to charge the electric car later in the night.

Depending on regional circumstances, there are different options for interim storage: excess electricity from renewable generation can, for example, be temporarily stored in batteries or converted into green hydrogen. The developed energy management system was tested in three demoregions, namely Südburgenland, Landkreis Passau as well as Israel.

Salzburg Research led the Austrian consortium, developed a comprehensive ICT infrastructure and modeled the flexibility behavior. Simulations for the years 2024, 2030 and 2040 show the respective savings potential.

„Cross Charge Point“ was funded by the EU in the ERA-Net Smart Energy Systems programming initiative. Further research has already been initiated to further optimize energy management in small-scale cells.

More information in the press release: Energiemanagement für mehr regionale Strom-Autonomie