Wind power smart grids

With more solar and wind energy being generated, an EU-funded project aims to test these electricity distribution systems.

With a funding boost of $15.65 million under the ‘Energy’ Theme of the EU's Seventh Framework Program (FP7), the EcoGrid (A Prototype for European Smart Grids) project brings together 16 project partners from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

Producing 20% of energy from renewables and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% are key priorities of the EU's Europe 2020 strategy.

The EcoGrid project will run a pilot real-time market for distributed energy resources on the Danish island of Bornholm by asking 2000 electricity users to reduce their power consumption when the wind is either too weak or too strong for the wind turbines on the island to work.

In return they will be able to reduce their electricity bill with the help of an intelligent power system known as a smart grid.

The participants will be equipped with residential demand-response devices that present real-time information to consumers and allow them to pre-program their automatic demand-response preferences.

At the moment, 50% of electricity on the island comes from wind power.

A smart grid works in an automated manner and disconnects an agreed proportion of each user's consumption when electricity prices are high. The same system allows them to raise their consumption when prices are low.

The project participants will have new electricity meters installed in their homes that differ from current meters by breaking down when electricity is being used as well as total power consumption.

The project will develop a computer system that automatically calculates the price of electricity for users on the basis of the situation in the generation and distribution system. This price should always reflect what it would cost to generate reserve power in the same periods.