An important aim behind the restructuring of Germany's and Europe's
electricity systems is to reduce the environmental burden, especially
with respect to greenhouse gas emissions, of the current systems.
Emissions must be brought down to a level that is sustainable in the
long run and consistent with greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.
Meeting these goals will require a system (as best as current knowledge
suggests) that will be able to cope simultaneously with the fundamental
demands for economic efficiency, environmental sustainability and supply
security. Making use of existing scenarios, this study sketches such a
system. It focuses in particular on auxiliary systems such as energy
storage methods and network extensions.
The study introduces technologies that can balance electricity in energy
systems and that can serve as enabling technologies for the integration
of large quantities of renewable energies in the power supply system. It
begins with a discussion of normative aims for the future electricity
system before continuing with a description of current policies and
political developments and an overview of relevant existing energy
system studies. These sections serve as background for the remainder of
the study. They are followed by discussion and analysis of the growing
demand for means to balance the fluctuations found in electricity
generated in power systems with a high penetration of renewable
energies, the potentials of diverse technologies, requirements for
electrical networks, economic impacts and important legal issues.
Finally, the main challenges to the achievement of developing balancing
technologies and processes for renewable electricity-dominant systems
are summarised and recommendations made.
