150m Euros available to Smart Grid Researchers and Developers
A new joint funding initiative between the Ministries of Economics (BMWi), Environment
(BMU) and Education and Research (BMBF) will help propel Germany's 'Energiewende' (Energy
Transition) further forward with EUR 150 million of new investment.
The funding initiative, called 'Sustainable power grids', is an integral part of the
6th energy research program of Germany's federal government. Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI)
will be on site at DistribuTECH in San Diego from Jan 29-31 to help highlight the
opportunities within these projects.
The next big challenge is to create a power grid that is able to distribute energy
more accurately and according to demand, through the use of information and communication
technology (ICT).
"The share of energy supply from renewable sources continues to grow," said Heiko
Staubitz of Germany Trade & Invest.
"So as to keep these grids operating smoothly, the implementation of ICT during the
expansion of renewable energy's share is paramount."
The results of a previous initiative, 'E-Energy - Smart Energy Made in Germany',
presented on January 18 at a conference in Berlin, made clear that the implementation of
ICT is a crucial step in Germany's 'Energiewende'.
In six pilot projects, different key technologies and business models for an 'Internet
of Energy' were tried out with varying degrees of success. The savings potential of these
so-called 'Smart Grids' would lead to a 10% saving in household bills and perhaps as much
as 20% in industrial zones.
Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment promotion agency of
the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises foreign companies looking to
expand their business activities in the German market. It provides information on foreign
trade to German companies that seek to enter foreign markets.