PowerMatching City: the first European city test for a smart power grid

In the future the electricity flow in the electricity grid will become bidirectional. Solar panels and micro-CHP installations will turn consumers into producers of electricity. This is good for the climate, but it will require a smarter electricity grid; a so-called Smart Grid. ECN has developed the digital control concept PowerMatcher for this smart grid, which will be tested for one year in the Dutch city of Hoogkerk: PowerMatching City.
In Hoogkerk, 25 dwellings have been virtually connected to each other. In each of these dwellings, electricity is not only used but also generated. The PowerMatcher enables demand and supply matching in a smart grid. The amount of electricity that is generated from renewable sources does not always match demand. There may be no wind or it may be cloudy at times of high energy demand and vice versa. Thanks to the PowerMatcher the washing machine will be automatically started when the electricity price is lowest, for example when there is a surplus of solar energy.
Last Wednesday, March 10th, mayor Rehwinkel of Groningen gave the official go-ahead for the test with this smart grid. After one year, the collected data will be analysed to find out how the system behaves. This project, which is supported by the European Union, should enable large-scale implementation of smart grids. They are essential for the future integration of, for example, large volumes of renewable energy. Other partners in the project include KEMA/Gas Consulting Services, Essent/New Energy and Humiq.

Information
More information about the experiment in Hoogkerk can be found at PowerMatching City. More information about the technology, surf to PowerMatcher.

Contact
You can also contact dr. René Kamphuis, tel. +31 224 564 544.

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