Future Power Grids

For more than a century, electricity grids have reliably supplied energy without depending on computer-based communication—indeed, their core principles predate computers entirely. Today, however, the grid is undergoing rapid change: industrial processes, mobility, and heating are increasingly electrified, which boosts consumption and makes it harder to predict. Meanwhile, the shift to renewable power generation introduces greater volatility, reduces both controllability and predictability, and eliminates mechanical inertia—leading to more dynamic behavior that demands faster responses. These changes necessitate new paradigms for grid operation. Our goal is to address these challenges by leveraging computer communication to proactively balance supply and demand and prevent instabilities.

COMSYS Projects

SAFEr Grid (2025-2031) seeks to develop a stable, resilient, and scalable electricity infrastructure for a carbon-neutral era. By introducing asynchronous subgrids and a store-and-forward principle, it aims to overcome the limitations of today’s synchronous power system. Funded by the prestigious ERC Synergy Grant, the project draws on expertise from RWTH Aachen University and Aalborg University, inspired by the Internet’s distributed architecture.

REDeFiNE (2020-2023), part of the DFG Priority Program on Cyber-Physical Networking (SPP 1914), explores a novel approach to smart grid frequency control beyond traditional hierarchical methods. By integrating communication and control, it aims to enable distributed frequency management for countless small, dynamic power generators. In-network processing, including real-time frequency predictions and the use of communication-system insights, helps address delays and uncertainties. Complemented by U.S. partners focusing on distributed frequency and voltage control, REDeFiNE ultimately seeks to enhance grid stability and scalability in future power systems.

VeN²uS (2021-2025) addresses the challenge of frequent power grid topology changes—driven by decentralized renewable energies—by developing an adaptive and networked grid protection system. This system dynamically adjusts protection parameters to ensure safe operation, verified through both laboratory demonstrations and, for the first time in Germany, field trials. COMSYS contributes communication mechanisms that combine high resilience against failures, low-latency performance, and robust hardware-based security, enabling reliable and secure data exchange for critical grid protection functions.

The QuGrids project (2024-2026), spanning ten research groups from FZJ, RWTH, Fraunhofer FIT, and the University of Münster, investigates how quantum technologies can enhance planning and operation of future energy grids. Funded under the “Profilbildung 2022” program by MKW NRW, it aims to build a strong, intradisciplinary research network in North Rhine-Westphalia. The project addresses three main areas: developing quantum-based energy grid demos, identifying broader research opportunities, and integrating quantum topics into academic teaching. COMSYS contributes to all work packages, focusing on quantum communication—particularly Quantum Key Distribution and advanced information flow paradigms—to secure and optimize future grid control and coordination.

Selected Publications

Scalable Supply and Demand Matching Involving Up-to-Date Information from Individual Prosumers
Proceedings of the 16th ACM International Conference on Future and Sustainable Energy Systems (ACM e-Energy)
Publisher: ACM,
June 2025
Accepted
Resilient Control Center to Substation Device Communication
Proceedings of the CIRED Chicago Workshop 2024 on Resilience of Electric Distribution Systems, November 7-8, 2024, Chicago, USA
November 2024
Markus Dahlmanns, Ina Berenice Fink, Gerrit Erichsen, Guosong Lin, Thomas Hammer, Burkhard Borkenhagen, Sebastian Schneider, Christof Maahsen, and Klaus Wehrle
Reliable and Secure Control Center to Station Device Communication
Proceedings of the CIRED workshop on Increasing Distribution Network Hosting Capacity 2024, June 19-20, 2024, Vienna, Austria
June 2024
Tobias Heins, René Glebke, Mirko Stoffers, Sriram Gurumurthy, Jan Heesemann, Martina Josevski, Antonello Monti, and Klaus Wehrle
Proceedings of the 14th IEEE International Conference on Smart Grid Communications (SmartGridComm 2023)
Publisher: IEEE,
October 2023
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