Central topic of Prof. Schmeck’s research group "Efficient Algorithms" at the Institute of Applied Informatics and Formal Description Methods (AIFB) is the development of methods for the efficient use of modern computing architectures for planning, improving, and executing information, business and manufacturing processes. Special attention is paid to multiply interconnected, adaptive systems with self-organization capabilities. Their controllability and efficient use are major objectives of the Organic Computing initiative which is strongly influenced by this group, as it coordinates the priority program of the German Research Foundation on organic computing.

Contribution to MeRegio

Within the scope of the MeRegio project, one major point of attention will be the development and evaluation of adaptive control strategies to compensate short-term imbalances of energy generation and consumption. Decentralized renewable power plants will be integrated in the grid by controlling both load and generation. The focus in the domain of load management is on cooperative strategies. These strategies enable participants tocommunicate with each other for coordinated load management. In the field of power generation management, control
strategies for pools of decentralized plants (virtual power plants) will be analyzed.

For the control strategies to handle the uncertainties inherent in forecasted and measured load, price, and network data, models and algorithms will be developed to provide good and robust solutions despite the limitations mentioned above. Moreover, it will be investigated how errors caused by the interaction of various components can be identified and eliminated automatically. These phenomena known as emergence are due to the fact that the underlying system is too complex to be verified in its entirety during interaction.

Furthermore, the AIFB is involved in developing a MeRegio certification concept as well as in carrying out online simulations.
 

Staff:

• Dipl.-Inform. Daniel Pathmaperuma 
• Dipl.-Inform. Christian Hirsch

The general objective of Prof. Fichtner’s Chair of Energy Economics at the Institute for Industrial Production (IIP) is the techno-economic analysis of energy systems and material flows needed for the assessment of strategic and environmentally relevant issues. The working group "Energy System Analysis and Environment" traditionally concentrates on strategic problems, such as capacity expansion and deployment planning, supply chain optimization, and technology assessment as well as development of emission reduction strategies. The main objective of the newly created research group "Transport and Energy" is to determine the impact electric vehicles have on the energy system and material flows.

Contribution to MeRegio

A large part of the research within the scope of the MeRegio project will be dedicated to the development of a certification process of CO₂ and energy efficiency of regions. The first step will be to define the assessment criteria, parameters as well as efficiency classes, so that the certification procedure developed can be tested in the model region later on. Furthermore, the simulation model developed can be used for further research in this field. The issues covered include model-based analyses of the impacts price and control signals have on power demand as well as model-based analyses of the impact of integration of decentralized power plants, storage systems, and controllable loads on the grid. Based on the results, a model will be designed for the evaluation of the transferability and the long-term effects of the concepts developed for e.g. the MeRegio marketplace and certification on the energy system. These research phases will be accompanied by socio-economic analyses, with the participants’ acceptance playing a considerable role.

Staff: 

• Dipl.-Ing. oec. Lutz Hillemacher
• Dipl.-Ing. Christoph Nolden

The research group headed by Prof. Dreier at the Institut für Informationsrecht (IIWR) focuses on legal issues raised by the digitalization and global networking of the international information society for the chain of information values added. The institute and its researchers are renowned in Germany and abroad for numerous presentations and publications in this field. In particular, the institute currently focuses on issues of regulation of e-commerce, legal enabling and validation of informational value-added services, and digital rights management from the perspective provided by legal rules. These issues might enable or hinder the development of useful and desirable information technologies and information services.

Contribution to MeRegio

Within the scope of the MeRegio project, all the legal requirements will be analyzed on the basis of the existing legislation, considering every particular level from basic communication and the middleware/platform to the business models. The results will be reported back to the project partners. At the same time, it will be worked towards an early opening of the present basic provisions of the energy law. For this purpose, statements and expert opinions will be issued for e. g. the Bundesnetzagentur (German Federal Network Agency).

Major research topics result from the regulations relating to message formats and process stipulations (interoperability) as well as from generic regulations of the law of evidence and data protection law. Technical concepts will be developed for the smart grid to implement legal conformity in the fields of technical data protection and data security.

Legislative adaptation requirements above all of the ICTrelated energy law, law of evidence, data protection law, and the German standard weights and measures law will be identified. Domain-specific recommendations for the standardization of rules will be formulated and provided to political decision-makers.

Staff:

• Dr. iur. Oliver Raabe
• Ass. iur. Mieke Lorenz

The research group of Prof. Weinhardt at the Institute of Information Systems and Management (IISM) analyzes and designs electronic markets in the field of finance, energy, emission certificates and logistics. Electronic trading platforms and market mechanisms are not only designed, but also evaluated with respect to suitability and grade of quality. Electronic trading platforms and market mechanisms are examined with regard to their quality of results and suitability. For this purpose, prototypical systems are designed and implemented. On this basis, it is possible to run simulations, business games, and experiments. The overall approach, which is at the center of the group‘s research, is called "Market Engineering".

Contribution to MeRegio

Within the framework of the MeRegio project, the IISM supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of the market platforms and their mechanisms. One of the research objectives is to reproduce model regions and their participants in simulation scenarios in order to investigate the interaction on a regional energy market. Software agents will be employed as representatives of real participants on the part of both consumers (for example, households, industry) and producers (for example, wind power, storage systems).

Within the scope of the analyses, possible approaches to implementing the regional marketplace shall be studied in due consideration of operational constraints, such as the available transmission capacity. This will set the course for the implementation of the regional energy market platform for an efficient and intelligent usage of the scarce resource energy.

Furthermore, the IISM participates in advanced socioeconomic investigations as well as in the conceptual design of a MeRegio certificate. The latter is supposed to enhance the transparency of the use of energy within a region and characterize a particularly efficient handling of energy with low emissions. The regional comparability will provide incentives for the development of a low-emission, sustainable local use of energy in the future.

Staff:

• M.Eng Anders Dalen
• Dipl.-Wi.-Ing. Alexander Schuller