The Role of Renewable Energies in the Arctic

Last week, Prof. David Finger from Sustainability Institute and Forum at Reykjavik University visited the University of Klagenfurt as a guest researcher. His inspiring talk at Energy Cluster Meeting XXXI, titled "Climate-Neutral Europe: the Role of Renewable Energies in the Arctic to decarbonize Europe and enhance energy independence", was truly captivating and gave us all a glimpse into the possibilities of an Austrian-Icelandic Energy Cooperation. 

Students and researchers alike were amazed by the future of renewable energy in Europe that Prof. Finger's talk highlighted and left the room with interesting insights into the role of renewable energy in the Arctic. It was a great opportunity to learn more about the progress of climate neutrality and energy independence in Europe and we look forward to further collaborations with Prof. Finger in the future.

Investigating the impact of data quality on the energy yield forecast using data mining techniques

In this paper, we analysed the impact of using optimum combination of input variables and low dimensional subspace on Photovoltaic (PV) production forecasting accuracy. We worked in collaboration with Prof. Mussetta from Politecnico di Milano.

The main contribution presented in the paper is divided in two parts:

1. Optimum combination of input meteorological features using feature extraction technique
2. Low dimensional subspace using dimensional reduction technique

We assess and compare two cases when forecasting models are fed with all the features with the case when low subspace of dataset is used as an input to the models.

The simulation results reveal that depending on the location under study and the regression methods, using less variables as input to the forecasting models are enough to generate nearly similar results without affecting the performance. However, it is necessary to conduct the tests under different climatic conditions so as to ensure the reliability of the results. 

The figures below show the results obtained applying Pearsons correlation and principal component analysis. Figure 1 represents strength of association between two variables. Figure 2 is the biplot representation of the input features contributing variance on principal components PC1 and PC2.

Fig.1 : Pearson correlation map

Fig.2 : Biplot representation 

ISGT Europe 2020 was held virtually and we recorded the presentation for the same. The presentation is available at this link.

 

To support reproducibility and validating the results we have released the dataset utilized in the work along with the codes. 

Github repository with used dataset and evaluation code

For more information please see the paper:

Ekanki Sharma, Marco Mussetta, and Wilfried Elmenreich. Investigating the impact of data quality on the energy yield forecast using data mining techniques. In Proceedings of the IEEE PES Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Europe (ISGT-Europe). IEEE, October 2020.

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Call for Papers Conference on Innovative Smart Grids Technologies Latin American

October 5-6-7, 2015

Hotel Radisson Montevideo, Uruguay

isgtla.org

chairs@isgtla.org

Radisson Montevideo (CC-BY-3.0 Rodrigo uy)

The IEEE PES Conference on Innovative SMART GRID Technologies (ISGT-LA 2015) Latin American, sponsored by the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) and hosted by IEEE URUGUAY SECTION and PES local CHAPTER, will be held on OCT 5, 6 and 7th, 2015.

The Conference will be a forum for the participants to discuss state-of-the-art innovations in Smart Grid technologies, to attend tutorials and Industry Panels.

Conference TOPICS are:

- Renewable Energy Sources and Smart Grid (Hydro, Tidal, Wind, Solar and Electric Vehicles, Storage technologies), Wind Integration, Resources forecast (water, wind, weather), Environmental Impacts and Climate change mitigation,

- Energy and Distribution Management Systems, Wide Area Monitoring, Control and Operation (SCADA Systems), Call Center solutions for Smart Grid

- Computational methods and optimization techniques in Smart Grids; Big Data, Massive Grid Data, Data Mining of Smart Grid, Geographic information system (GIS) technology and Smart Grid, Multi-agent Based Applications for Smart Grids

- Smart Grid Impact on Electric Power Systems (Generation, Transmission and Distribution), Grid modeling, analysis and simulation, real time and co-simulation, Stability

- Demand Response, Demand side management, Customer aspects, user behavior and Flexible Demand,

- Smart Grids Information and Communications Technologies (I.C.T): Communications, System Architecture, Operations Support System (OSS), WANs and LANs Networks, 3G/4G networking. Control and Information Systems: Cyber Security Systems, Intelligent Monitoring and Outage Management

- Power System Instrumentation and Measurements, Metering Infrastructure and Instrumentation, Smart Meters, Components Reliability and Diagnostics, System and Components Asset Management

- Power Quality, Energy Efficiency and Smart Grid, Power Electronics Devices: modeling, application, control. FACTS: flexible alternating current transmission system power electronics and Smart Grid

- Protection in Energy Systems, PMUs and Wide Area Monitoring, IEC 61850, distributed IEDs, Synchrophasors in Distribution

- Smart Grids Interoperability, Regulation and Policies, Codes, Standards, Public Policies for implementation of Smart Grids, Testing and certification

-Integration of Distributed Energy Resources, Distributed Generation Islanded Systems and Microgrids: operation, control, monitoring and technologies, Low-voltage direct current (LVDC) distribution networks

- Home and Building Automation, Smart Cities, Cross Energy-domain solutions, Smart Sensors, Convergence of Smart Grid and the Internet of Things,

- Smart Grid Projects, Field Tests, large-scale demonstrations and deployment experiences, Future trends: technologies, researches, standards, incentives, opportunities

- Smart Grid Agenda; Smart Grid Roadmaps, Smart Grid Infrastructure Investments, Planning and Budgets, Cost and Benefits Analysis, Grant Programs,

- Smart Grids and Electricity Markets, Economics and incentive Regulations for Smart Grids, Impact of Smart Grids in Regulation and Energy Pricing, Smart Grids and Sustainable Developement,

- Smart Grid Utility Assets; Smart Grid Assets Management, urban enviroment, self-healing techniques, underground grids, Smart Wires, GIS for Smar Grid,Substation Equipment and Smart Grids; Transformers, Circuit Breakers, Switches

ISGT-LA Sample Papers;

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5mRMHjp1zrIa0NiTlVmZDJva0k/view?usp=sharing

Important Dates:

March 15, 2015 EXTENDED ABSTRACT Submission Deadline
June 15, 2015 Notification of paper ACCEPTANCE
August 15, 2015 Camera-ready / FINAL PAPER Submission Deadline
October 5-6-7, 2015 Conference at Radisson Montevideo Hotel

Quick intro to the Open Source Renewables Alternative Power System Simulation (RAPSim)

In a previous blogpost, we introduced RAPSim, a free open source power system simulator with a graphical interface. RAPSim was developed at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt within the Lakeside Labs project Smart Microgrid. The main architect of RAPSim, Manfred Rabl-Pöchacker now produced video giving an ultra-fast introduction to the tool. Got three minutes? Here is the video:



Interested? RAPSim can be freely downloaded at rapsim.sourceforge.net.
If you want to learn more about RAPSim, here is a paper about RAPSim:

M. Pöchacker, T. Khatib, and W. Elmenreich. The microgrid simulation tool RAPSim: Description and case study. In Proceedings of the IEEE Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Asia (ISGT-ASIA'14), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2014. IEEE.

The Renewable Alternative Power System Simulator - RAPSim

An open simulation software for Micro Grids

It is not necessary to stress all the challenges that come allong with wide range integration of renewables into the power grid at this article. You easily find this somewhere else, in this blog or at another source in the web. But I want to focus your attention on a tool that can help to deal with this challenges and work torwards solutions. It is a lot on matching climate dependent production with the personal demand which is currently noticed only in average. The various influences on residential load profiles are diverse and include weather conditions, availability of other resources, personal habits and also social phenomenas. This variaty is a reason why Marija Ilic speaks of just-in-time and just-in-place services in the conntext of Smart Micro Grids. 

Developing of or researching on such services requires a flexible simulation tool with possibly high usability. This is exactly what RAPSim is aiming at. RAPSim has been developed at the Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt within the Lakeside Labs project Smart Microgrid and was presented in front of interested audience at the ISGT Asia - 2014 conference in Kuala Lumpur in May 2014. Since then the software project is downloadable for free at Sourceforge.net. 

Connected Smart Grid Objects 

The simulation field is a lattice where the user designs a scenario by placing different "grid objects", e.g., houses, wind turbines, PV panels, etc. Each of the objects can have a model which does all the inner-object calculations. Algorithms handle grid-wide interactions. User-defined models can extend  algorithms for the grid and/or models for the grid objects. RAPSim provides the interface with following functions:

• A graphical interface to create the intended scenarios and to control the simulator functions.
• Functions to save and load simulation scenarios in a generic xml format.
• A time thread that models time of day and day of the year and handles up to minute resolution.
• Generation of output files in csv-format. Object parameters can be selected to be written into a file at each time step.
• Weather simulation which can be done via stochastic models or simulated by measured data.
• Topological grid analysis that collects objects of the same bus in a list and aggregates their parameter values.
• Administration of algorithms for grid-wide calculations.
• Administration of object specific models that can be easily implemented by the user.

The software is written in Java and provided with the source code so that it can be imported into a Java IDE such as eclipse. The development of the software is still ongoing. Try it out and give us feedback by adding a comment or sending a ticket to helps us to further improve it. Please spread the news about the tool, while we will do the best on our part so that onces RAPSim may become a synonym for rapid simulation in the field of mirco grids.
Once more here the link to the sourceforge page.

Publications on RAPSim (with links to fulltext PDF):

M. Pöchacker, T. Khatib, and W. Elmenreich. The microgrid simulation tool RAPSim: Description and case study. In Proceedings of the IEEE Innovative Smart Grid Technologies Asia (ISGT-ASIA'14), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2014. IEEE.

 

Workshop on Human Centered Energy Management

1st Interdisciplinary Workshop on Human Centered Energy Management
to be held from 7th to 11th of July 2014
at Lakeside Science & Technology Park, Klagenfurt, Austria.

An inter-faculty research field “Energy Management and Energy Technologies”, staffed by academics from a wide range of disciplines, has recently been established at the Alpen-Adria University Klagenfurt (AAU Klagenfurt). Research efforts focus on energy management and energy innovation, networked and de- central energy systems. Together with the Faculty of Technical Sciences (TeWi), the Faculty for Management and Economics (WiWi) and the Faculty of Interdisciplinary Studies (IFF), this new research area will be further developed in cooperation with external partners such as the Lakeside Park.







The Lakeside Park is a platform for cooperation between enterprises and university institutions in the information and communication technology (ICT) sectors. A place of interdisciplinary research and development, training, production and services. The focus of the Lakeside Park is on selected topics of information and communication technology and complementary technologies such as energy systems. In the Interreg IV projects “Smart Energy” and “Efficient, Effective, Smart” the Lakeside Park establishes inter-regional contacts to strengthen collaborative research and development. Therefore, the Lakeside Park and the AAU introduce this novel interdisciplinary workshop with focus on “Human Centered Energy Management”.

Lakeside Park Klagenfurt with a view to the Wörthersee

Human Centered Energy Management

To ensure an efficient production, supply and consumption of energy, it is necessary to introduce novel technologies. Energy monitoring units, new smart control and managing techniques shall improve energy efficiency in the smallest entities of the common power grid – the Smart Building with its inhabitants and its neighborhood. In that respect the individual human being plays a crucial role for energy management tasks. On the one hand it is necessary to improve the energy efficiency of the costumer’s home to reduce energy consumption and costs. On the other hand also the decrease of environmental pollution by optimal utilization of energy resources is a major task of future energy systems.

The proposed workshop “Human Centered Energy Management” takes up these tasks and tries to identify problems and solutions for human centered energy management tasks in an interdisciplinary manner.

Format and Objectives

The aim of the workshop is to give regional experts, such as local professors and young researchers of the AAU, the opportunity to discuss and elaborate ideas with world-wide experts and to introduce and to discuss further ideas in an interdisciplinary setup. Therefore, participants with academic backgrounds and an interest on novel smart energy management systems as well as companies and research institutes are welcome to present and to discuss their research tasks and ideas.

The workshop will have a dedicated “industry day” providing the companies a platform to introduce their problems and to elaborate possible solutions and ideas with experts in the field of energy systems from different disciplines. The general format of the workshop lasts one week with key-speaker inputs and group work with discussions and presentations. Therefore, the event provides an excellent platform for scientific exchange, networking, establishment of international collaboration and the initiation of joint research projects.

Addressed Topics:

• ICT solutions and approaches for smart home management and systems for integrated energy management.
• Integration of smart and legacy appliances, renewable energy sources and storage systems in buildings to improve energy efficiency and awareness of inhabitants.
• Identification, modeling and simulation of energy systems and human behavior
• Energy data analysis and feedback approaches and behavior influencing information systems
• Economics and law aspects of human centered energy managements systems in respect to smart homes, smart metering and energy data analysis as well as for renewable energy production and storage systems.
• Market and business models for ICT-based energy services designed to improve the recent power grid and homes.

For more information about the workshop and how it is possible to participate, please contact dominik.egarter@aau.at.

Wind power or photovoltaics?

Wind power is an interesting option for producing renewable energy. In contrast to Photovoltaics, wind generated energy costs less but it requires transmission infracstructure between wind parks and the consumers.Germany has more than 32 GW of installed wind power capacity and is now building transmission lines to transport the energy to the south.

How predictable is wind in comparison to PV output? The yield of both depend on some meterological factors which are hard to predict. However there is one big difference: you can easily calculate the maximum amount of solar intensity that your PV system has to cope with. With wind speed, it is hard to define a maximum possible wind speed, since on rare occasions wind speed can be significantly higher than the expected value.

Which could be dangerous: If the generator spins faster and faster, large forces produced could cause a wind turbine to self destruct:

Luckily, todays wind turbines have an overspeed control (a braking or featherin mechanism) and a cut-out mode. Still, I don't want them in my garden :-)

Open position for an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at Vienna University of Technology

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of Vienna University of Technology invites applications at the Institute of Energy Systems and Electrical Drives for a Tenure track position with qualification agreement for associate professor in the area of Electrical Energy Distribution Systems in form of a initially fixed-term (6 years) tenure track position starting from 01.04.2014. Research areas to be independently covered are automated distribution system operation including information and communication technologies (Smart Grids), integration of renewable and distributed energy resources into the energy system, electro-mobility, Microgrids as well as protection technology. The successful candidate is expected to initiate independent, creative research programs and to establish an own research group.
A strong emphasis is placed on the broad fields of planning, modeling, simulating and analyzing electrical energy distribution systems as well as the integration of decentralized renewable energy resources, hybrid energy storage systems and application of information and communication technologies for automated distribution system operation.
The following requirements for applications to this position exist. The successful candidate is expected to be an internationally recognized scientist with a PhD relevant to the field and perennial experience in one or several of the following research areas:
- Impact of distributed energy resources on distribution system operation and protection
- Integration of decentralized renewable energy resources and distributed storage into the energy system
- Integration of electro-mobility into the energy system
- Application of information and communication technology in energy distribution systems
- Reliability, resilience and island capability of energy distribution systems
- Real time simulation of energy distribution systems and Microgrids
and experience and commitment to excellence in teaching and supervision of undergraduate, graduate and PhD students.
The successful candidate is expected to participate in teaching according to the curricula of the faculty of electrical engineering and information technology and to establish an own research group.
Salaries and benefits of the tenure track position are according to collective labor agreement for employees at universities, salary group B1, based on 40 hours per week, and a monthly minimum salary of currently € 3.411,70 (14 times per year). After signature of the qualification agreement salaries and benefits are raised to salary group A2 and thus monthly € 4.034,70 (14 times per year).
Applications should include curriculum vitae, list of publications, copies of 5 most relevant publications, list of successful grant applications, and list of teaching experience. Applications should be directed to the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of Vienna University of Technology, Erzherzog Johann Platz 1, 1040 Wien, Austria. Applications should include a CD-ROM with an electronic version of the complete application documents. Candidate evaluation will begin on 04.01.2014.
Candidates are not eligible for a refund of expenses for travelling and lodging related to the application process.