Open Software Platform Helps Save Energy

Thursday, August 12 2010

Starting in 2011, energy suppliers in Germany will be required to offer electricity at variable rates under the German Energy Act. A new energy management software platform will enable customers to opt for flexible electricity rates, so that they can purchase power at times when it is available more cheaply. Another advantage is better utilization of the power grid.

The idea behind the new law is simple: variable rates should encourage people to make a conscious effort to control their consumption. The OGEMA (Open Gateway Energy Management Alliance) Framework was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technologies IWES in Kassel, Germany. It is a freely available Java-based, open-source platform for energy management that links both consumers and producers of energy to the control centers of the grid operators and power suppliers.

Via a display, customers will be able to monitor a variable electricity price and wait for times when rates are lower - in order to start their dishwashers, for instance. Variable rates allow demand for electricity to be steered. When grid utilization levels are low, electricity can be offered at lower rates. Flexible pricing is an incentive to gradually shift power consumption to times when there is an oversupply of wind energy. With the growing trend towards to renewable energy sources, it is becoming ever more important to adapt one's consumption to suit the supply. That is how Dr. Philipp Straub, engineer and division director at IWES, explains the concept behind the software.