Grid Scenario Simulator

Build a better foundation for your Network Development Plans (NDPs) through easy evaluation of future scenarios

Determine the impacts of the anticipated expansion of charging stations, heat pumps, and distributed generation systems on your distribution grids

Achieving climate goals requires a targeted and demand-driven expansion of distribution grids. However, the necessary processes and decision-making are far from trivial and pose a significant challenge for distribution grid operators.

The primary issues stem from the low transparency of the current network situation and existing grid capacity – especially at the secondary network level –, and the high uncertainty about where and when new power generators and loads will be added. Limited IT and personnel resources for conducting and evaluating extensive calculations only intensify these issues. As a result, planning for expansion or reinforcement measures is often based on a few reference networks – a method that becomes increasingly inaccurate considering the current dynamic developments in the grid.

Our Grid Scenario Simulator app addresses exactly this problem: It allows you to create various detailed EV, heating, generation and storage scenarios in just a few steps. By specifying the future distribution of heat pumps, solar systems, and charging points, these scenarios can be comprehensively assessed for individual networks or the entire network area. With the Grid Scenario Simulator, you can minimize uncertainties in forecasting future grid loads and bring to light the ‘blind spots’ in strategic grid planning in detail.

What you can use Grid Scenario Simulator for

With this app, you can integrate various energy transition scenarios into your power grid model and accurately determine the future reinforcement or expansion needs.

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Easy specification of framework data for scenarios

The app allows you to easily add new network elements within the existing network functions. You can define a variety of parameters for each network element type, such as connection capacity, annual energy consumption, or reactive power behavior for new generation units. The grid scenario definition can be done either by specifying future penetration rates based on an electrification futures study, with the new units being automatically distributed across the network area, or precisely for each point of interconnection via an API. This enables the integration of high-resolution scenario data, such as from municipal heat planning.

 

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Detailed evaluation based on load flow simulations

The impact assessment, such as forecast of bottlenecks or possible voltage limit violations, is carried out individually for each network complex in your area using load flow simulations with time series data or based on coincidence factors. Each asset is individually considered and evaluated, providing important information on which network areas are at risk of overloading in the future. Additionally, you directly get a list of KPIs with the main results of the scenario, such as the number of overloaded assets.

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Direct interface to Grid Upgrade Designer

Within a Planning Study, a variant is created for each network complex in your network area. The individual variants can then be transferred to the Grid Upgrade Designer app with one click. This enables further processing of future grid scenario results and determining suitable measures for short- or medium-term grid reinforcement and strategic grid planning.

 

3 reasons why you will love our Grid Scenario Simulator app

 

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Proactive system planning

The application enables you to simulate the impacts of an anticipated increase in heat pumps, charging points, and solar systems on your system. This allows you to forecast potential bottlenecks in the system early and implement a proactive planning strategy.

 

 

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Better investment decisions

The app provides a solid decision-making foundation for planning grid reinforcement and expansion measures that are necessary in the future. Through precise analysis, you can avoid redundant construction measures in an area over the long term, leading to significant cost savings.

Detailed evaluation basis

Detailed evaluation basis

The basis for the Grid Scenario Simulator app is a detailed evaluation, including time series simulations, for a complete, computational model of your networks. Calculations are no longer based on just a few reference networks but run individually for each section of your entire network area.

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Common questions we hear about our tool for the evaluation of future grid scenarios

I work with an external service provider to generate data for penetration rates. Can I transfer it to the Grid Scenario Simulator?

Absolutely. You specify the study parameters yourself – regardless of whether they come from you or an external service provider. For instance, some of our customers work with different research institutes to gather this data and subsequently use it to create future scenarios in our Grid Scenario Simulator.

How easy is it to create a new study in the app?

You can easily create the studies in the user interface (simplified mode). Alternatively, it is possible to create more complex and very specific studies via an API.

How can I implement the app right now?
All our apps are based on our Grid Hub – the heart of the Intelligent Grid Platform and the basis for all network calculations. Installing the Grid Hub includes data integrations with your source systems, and enables ongoing data cleansing for future network modeling and other uses. Although this may sound like a challenging task, our expert teams manages much of the work and in the end, you’ll end up with an automated and computable model that includes your entire distribution network (and not just a few reference grids).
 

After that, the Grid Scenario Simulator only needs to be activated and does not require further grid data integration or preparation.