Challenges for Energy Now!
For this year's edition of Energy Now!, we have prepared for you a selection of urgent and concrete real-world challenges that our industry partners from the energy and transportation sector are currently facing.
Please find below detailed challenge descriptions that we have worked out in advance of the Kick-Off event, together with our industry partners. We thus hope to provide you with the best possible starting point for achieving a real-world impact through Energy Now! 2023. At the Kick-Off event (2 October), you will be able to discuss these challenges in depth with industry representatives and find a mentor for your team. In the dropdowns below, you can find information about the Who? What? Why? and How? of each proposed challenge.
Of course, if you are burning to solve another real-world challenge you are aware of, feel free to do so! Simply submit your challenge idea using the form at the bottom of this page.
Who?
Swissgrid AG, BKW, Tiko
What?
An approach that provides different stakeholders with the visualisation of the respective flexibility at different levels of granularity (from individual buildings to entire network areas) and across different time scales (hourly, daily, weekly, monthly).
Why?
The project is motivated by the evolving landscape of the energy market and the need to make the electricity grid more adaptable, efficient and resilient. To optimise the overall system, the Smart Grid Roadmap of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE), for example, envisages increasing the flexibility of the individual systems.
Flexibility can be used for different purposes that are potentially in competition with each other.
Useful for the market: Market participants can monetise flexibility on the ancillary services and power markets. In the former, they can sell their flexibility to the TSO to ensure grid stability, whereas in the latter, they use the flexibility to cushion price peaks. Further, a paradigm shift is currently taking place: While end consumers have so far been passively switched on or off by energy supply companies, they can now exploit price differences for themselves.
Useful for the grid: Distribution grid operators can use flexibilities to defuse critical local grid situations. In this way, economically inefficient grid expansion can be avoided, reduced or postponed in certain cases. Examples of the grid-serving use of flexibilities are the shutdown of decentralized production plants to avoid high feed-in peaks, the grid-serving use of storage facilities and the controlled temporal shifting of consumption by the distribution grid operator, so-called load shifting, which can be achieved through DSM or DSR. The effects of grid-serving flexibility use are locally limited.
Useful for the system: The transmission system operator, specifically the national grid company Swissgrid, can use flexibility to maintain system stability. For this system-serving use of flexibility, market participants typically participate in the balancing energy market and submit bids there. The transmission system operator can then use these resources for balancing the system or for redispatch measures.
In order to use these potentials, different stakeholders need to be informed and, above all, sensitized.
How?
As this is a large topic, there could be several groups working on different tasks, e.g.
- Identifying the technical flexibility potential (existing or expected heat pump & electric vehicle capacities etc.)
- Modelling the baseline production/consumption of different flexible resource types over time
- Identifying the available flexibility per resource type (how many kW can be shifted, how many hours for each technology and at what times?)
- Developing a concept how to visualise flexibility at different levels of spatial granularity and its variation over time (day/week/year)
- Implementing software prototypes for the above mentioned tasks
Who?
VBZ - Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
What?
A winter energy savings idea for VBZ for one test tram. Instead of having the heating system in the tram being switched on all the time, we would like to test the idea of installing new buttons which will switch the heating on for only a limited time (e.g. 15 min?) when requested by a passenger.
We have some ideas, and we would like to invite a group of students to do the following:
- Study the electrical schematics of the Cobra Tram and identify an ideal location for the modifications for this button and the best way to control it.
- Button Placement and Mechanical Installation: Propose suitable locations within the tram for button placement, considering accessibility and passenger convenience. Suggest mechanical installation methods to seamlessly integrate the buttons into the tram's interior.
- Passenger Communication: Devise a clear and straightforward communication strategy to inform passengers about the new heating control buttons. Given that passengers may not expect this feature, it's crucial to convey its purpose effectively.
- Feedback Collection: Develop a user-friendly QR-code survey that passengers can access easily. This survey will help us improve passenger satisfaction and gather valuable insights into their experience with the heating control buttons.
- Energy Consumption Assessment: The vehicles measure energy consumption every day and we’ll be able to do some rough measurements to see what the effect this button had.
Why?
While it may not be widely recognized, the operation of heating systems in public transportation vehicles takes up a lot of energy. Particularly on very cold days, the energy used for heating VBZ trams nearly matches the energy needed for propelling them forward. Consequently, even minor reductions in heating requirements hold substantial potential for long-term energy conservation.
VBZ has recently dedicated one vehicle as ‘Innovation Tram’ for testing new technology, systems and equipment. This vehicle would be perfect for a ‘Heating on Demand’ test. We would like to invite a group of students to design the ‘Heat on Demand’ which we can then propose for management approval.
How?
We believe that a small group can handle the initial stages of this project, focusing on basic design work. Our VBZ team will then take care of the final adjustments. The group's tasks would include:
- Electrical Schematic Changes: Coming up with ideas for how the electrical systems can be adjusted.
- Mechanical Installation: Planning how the new heating system will physically fit into the tram.
- Communication: Figuring out how the system will communicate and work with other parts of the tram.
- Survey: Conducting a survey to gather information and feedback.
- Energy Assessment: How much energy would we save?
Since the test system might take longer than our Energy Now! timeline allows, VBZ will take over the project and finish it up. This way, we can ensure the project's successful completion and implementation.
Who?
VBZ - Verkehrsbetriebe Zürich
What?
Implement this 2022 Energy Now! Proposal:
We propose the development of an innovative web-based tool designed to empower public transport operators and the general public with the ability to assess and optimize energy consumption within their bus and tram fleets, specifically targeting heating systems. This tool will provide valuable insights into potential energy savings, fostering sustainable practices within the transportation sector.
Key Features:
- Fleet Energy Estimation: Users can input various parameters such as fleet size (number of vehicles), vehicle specifications (length, capacity), geographic location (for climate-specific data), operational details (station stop frequency, operating hours), and heating system characteristics.
- Utilization of Data Sources: The tool will use data from various sources, including existing VBZ (or equivalent) measurements, climate data, and information on diverse heating equipment options. By combining this data, the tool will offer a comprehensive overview of energy consumption patterns.
- Energy Consumption Prediction: By using and combining the input data, the tool will generate accurate estimates of the energy consumed by the fleet during the winter months for heating purposes. This prediction will provide operators with a clear understanding of their heating energy consumption patterns.
- Potential Savings Analysis: The tool will not only calculate current energy consumption but also project potential savings achievable by lowering the vehicle temperatures. By offering actionable insights, it encourages operators to adopt energy-efficient practices.
By implementing the 2022 Energy Now! Proposal, we aim to equip public transport operators and individuals with a powerful, user-friendly tool that not only enhances their understanding of energy consumption within fleets but also promotes sustainable energy practices. This innovative solution will pave the way for a more energy-efficient and environmentally conscious public transportation system.
Why?
While it may not be widely recognized, the operation of heating systems in public transportation vehicles takes up a lot of energy. Particularly on very cold days, the energy used for heating VBZ trams nearly matches the energy needed for propelling them forward.
However, many public transport operators lack data regarding their heating energy consumption and the potential savings that can be realized by reducing vehicle temperatures.
At VBZ, we conducted an analysis of energy consumption and the savings achieved through temperature reduction in our Cobra tram fleet. We have gathered a substantial amount of data in this regard. During the 2022 Energy Now! event, students proposed utilizing the data collected by VBZ as a valuable resource for assisting other vehicle operators in promptly estimating their own energy-saving potentials.
How?
We expect that this can be carried out by a small group which would design and implement a web based tool.
The group would study the available data with support of VBZ and figure out what additional data is required and how to access it.
Who?
Siemens
What?
Describe the principle of a billing process of the charging operation of cars used for bidirectional charging. This description needs to go into detail on the measurement or estimation of all losses, energies given away and energies received to come to a clear model that accounts for all costs and secures a viable billing to the end customer.
Why?
Bidirectional charging is communicated as a main means to overcome the storage problem of energy.
But the storage process with the measurable quantities does not lead to a clear billing model. Battery SOC (state of charge) is dependant on a model of the car manufacturer - battery size is not a defined quantity that users could clearly formulate, and losses are not measurable in the (de)charging process and during standby.
Battery size of a car - example of different definitions that make it impossible for a car owner to name his eCar battery capacity, if we would request this info from him.
- Brutto capacity - example ID4 = 82kWh (some car documentation)
- Net capacity - example ID4 = 77kWh (some car documentation)
- Best capacity between 0 and 100% SOC - example ID4 = 72kWh (documentation very difficult to find)
- Real capacity between 0 and 100% SOC of your car including aging losses - example ID4 = 69kWh (at 30’000km, decreasing with age, not accessible)
How?
Find a calculation model that takes all losses into account, explains how to measure the relevant losses and formulate the assumptions, if only models can lead to solutions.
Alternatively propose new models of mobility with cars available to bidirectional charging to overcome the billing problem.
Who?
ShareP AG
What?
Develop a holistic software solution that integrates with different EV charger producers through the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). Your solution should provide an interface that allows various existing EV Charging apps to connect seamlessly, offering users an aggregated platform for all available EV charging stations. Furthermore, your solution should provide city officials and energy providers with real-time data on energy usage and demand.
Why?
The proliferation of EV chargers from diverse manufacturers presents a challenge for users, city planners, and energy providers. Users often have to toggle between different apps to find charging stations, leading to inefficiencies and user frustration. Meanwhile, city officials and energy providers lack an integrated view of the overall energy demand, making it difficult to plan energy distribution and infrastructure improvements effectively.
Key Considerations:
- How can the software uniformly interface with different charger producers who might have varying data formats and protocols beyond OCPP?
- What kind of user interface and experience will ensure that users of different EV Charging apps find this unified platform convenient and intuitive?
- How can the solution provide insightful analytics and visualizations for energy providers and city officials, assisting in forecasting, planning, and decision-making?
- Consider potential data privacy concerns and how the system can ensure user data is protected while providing necessary insights to officials.
How?
- Design a software architecture that integrates with various EV charger producers using OCPP.
- Propose an API structure that allows EV Charging apps to fetch data from this unified source, ensuring compatibility and real-time updates.
- Detail the analytics component, showcasing how data is aggregated, analyzed, and presented to city officials and energy providers.
- Address potential challenges and bottlenecks in the integration process and how they can be overcome.
You have your own idea?
If you would like to bring another idea to this year's hackathon, please submit your challenge using the form below.
If you want to work on any of these challenges, or if you want to work on your own idea, please register now!