German electricity grids are changing: The volume of electricity generated locally, from photovoltaics and wind power, for example, is constantly increasing, while the number of e-mobility charging stations is also increasing. To compensate for the consequent threat of load fluctuations and to anticipate these where possible, new sensors are needed to provide grid operators with a better understanding of the current grid status and the components involved. In the longer term, the aim is to detect imminent failures at an early stage and to avoid them through improved control, whereby AI methods are also to be used.

This is the focus of the FLEMING research project (Flexible Monitoring and Control Systems for the Turnover of Energy and Mobility in the Distribution Network through the Use of Artificial Intelligence), led by Swiss energy group ABB’s research center in Ladenburg, Baden-Württemberg. The project partners include the University of Paderborn , the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) , the Forschungsinstitut für Rationalisierung e. V. (research institute for rationalization - FIR) at RWTH Aachen University, and several German companies. The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) with a total of €3.3 million; initial results are expected in the second half of 2020.