Tesla & TransnetBW Start Field Trials of Energy Grid Stabilization in Germany

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Tesla and TransnetBW started field trials of grid stabilization in Germany with solar panels and Powerwall. The PV-Shift project is another building block for integrating renewable energy into the grid.

TransnetBW announced a joint project with Tesla that was rolled out in Germany in May, according to a company press release via Teslamag. TransnetBW, a transmission system operator, is testing grid stabilization with Tesla's Powerwall home energy storage systems and solar panels. TransnetBW explained that during times of high load or low household demand, the grid is offloaded by shifting battery charging processes so that the solar systems feed electricity to the public grid in accordance with the requirements and instructions of the operator. This helps to stabilize the power grid in an economical, resource-saving, and environmentally neutral manner.

“Our goal is to support the transition from fossil fuels as quickly as possible and at a reasonable cost to operate the power grid by intelligently integrating decentralized agility into the grid,” explains Dr. Rainer Pflaum, CFO of TransnetBW, responsible for the area of ​​network management on which the pilot project is based.

The field trials, originally scheduled for six months, are also aimed at gaining experience in terms of the availability and predictability of the flexibility potential that should feed into the preparation of a standardized mechanism, the so-called Redispatch 3.0. Thanks to the cooperation of consumers and network operators, renewable energy sources are efficiently integrated into the energy system, and climate neutrality is further enhanced.

TransnetBW has taken a close look at the charging cycles of the Tesla Powerwall and found processes that can be put to good use throughout the grid. For participating home energy storage owners, this will bring additional financial rewards in the future. On the other hand, the grid operator can potentially use the generated PV electricity to reduce network bottlenecks (positive redistribution).

“With PV-Shift, we are breaking new ground, which we are opening up step by step. The loss of conventional power plants is offset by the enormous demand for e-cars, heat pumps and solar systems with battery storage. Practical experiences in the interaction of network operators, system providers and end consumers are of central importance for the development of the electricity system of the future,” said Dr. Sabrina Ried, PV-Shift Project Manager.

For field trials, TransnetBW receives free flexibility potential from a limited number of Powerwalls. The exact number of participants is not known. Tesla acts as an aggregator and forms an interface between home storage owners and TransnetBW, which uses power when needed to stabilize the grid.

The economic potential of using decentralized redirect flexibility in Baden-Württemberg was already explored by TransnetBW last year in a brief study by the University of Stuttgart. The results were amazing, which prompted the operator to test in the field. The first results of the PV-Shift project are expected by the end of the year.

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