Concepts for the cultivation, production and use of vegetable oils

100% renewable stand-alone grid in Wildpoldsried

Research project IREN2

In September 2017, the first stand-alone grid operation using renewable energies took place as part of the Forschungsprojektes IREN2 in Wildpoldsried. For this purpose, a part of the low-voltage network was successfully undocked from the public power grid for the first time. This stand-alone grid in the Allgau community of Wildpoldsried could be switched to stand-alone grid with the push of a button, and then be docked to the grid again. The operation was interruption-free and stable. As a balancing energy and for grid stabilisation, VWP supplied a plant oil engine for important components of frequency regulation and voltage maintenance to the University of Kempten.

Local stand-alone grids provide an important contribution

Example of a necessary software change in the dynamic operating regime of a vegetable oil engine in the off-gridAs the energy transition progresses with an increasing percentage of renewable energies, local stand-alone grids can provide a major contribution to maintaining high supply reliability. Even in the event of network malfunctions, for instance from storms, floods or blackout, decentralised energy generators will jump in to maintain the grid. Wildpoldsried is connected to the Galapagos in the sense that for both stand-alone grids the software control required for the stand-alone grid operation originates from Siemens, and that in addition to smaller battery sets, plant oil generators are used for grid stabilisation.