Launch of the innovative LadeFlexBW pilot project
Launch of the innovative LadeFlexBW pilot project: Smart charging of electric vehicles stabilises electricity grids
- A joint initiative by TransnetBW, NetzeBW and Intelligent Energy System Services (IE2S) is trialling grid- and market-friendly charging under real-world conditions
- Field trial without smart meters and without changing supplier – low-threshold and with financial incentives
- System architecture designed for scalability from the outset: from a few hundred to tens of thousands of electric vehicles
STUTTGART (Germany) – With the launch of the “LadeFlexBW” pilot project, an innovative field trial is getting underway in Baden-Wuerttemberg to explore the intelligent, market- and grid-friendly control of private electric vehicles under real world conditions. The aim is to integrate electric cars into the electricity system as flexible, decentralised energy assets: automated, user-friendly and financially rewarded.. Unlike many previous approaches, LadeFlexBW does not rely on simulations or test environments, but on a real-world field trial involving private electric vehicles.
“The importance of micro-flexibility for the electricity grid is steadily increasing as the energy transition progresses. LadeFlexBW is a concrete step towards testing precisely this potential under real-world conditions – market-based, voluntary and without compromising the convenience of electric vehicle users. As a transmission system operator, we need such real-world laboratories to move from pilot projects to nationawide implementation as quickly as possible.”
“We are creating a revenue model that rewards users for something they do anyway: charging their electric vehicle. The crucial difference is that we are harnessing the flexibility behind this – for the market, for the grid and for the participants’ wallets. This is the approach we now want to test in the field.”
Innovation under real-world market conditions
In Germany, the roll-out of smart meters continues to lag behind what is needed to fully explot decentralised flexibility. A particularly innovative aspect of LadeFlexBW is that the field trial is deliberately being conducted without the use of intelligent metering systems (smart meters / iMSys). Instead, operation takes place within the existing standard load profile (SLP) framework, which is currently the norm for the majority of private households in Germany. In doing so, LadeFlexBW demonstrates that grid- and market-friendly charging of electric vehicles is already feasible under the current regulatory and metering framework – and can therefore bridge the gap until the smart meter rollout has progressed further.
At the same time, participation in LadeFlexBW is entirely independent of users’ existing electricity supply contracts. There is no need to change energy suppliers or adjust electricity tariffs. The marketing of flexibility is separate from energy supply and does not affect contractual relationships nor the billing of electricity consumption.
A new revenue model for end customers – accessible and scalable
Flexibility trading thus becomes a standalone, complementary revenue stream for end customers – low-threshold, customer-friendly and compatible with existing market structures. The approach follows the European trend towards greater demand response – that is, the active participation of consumers in the energy market, as promoted at EU level by ACER, among others. LadeflexBW combines automated charging optimisation based on real-time grid and market signals, the aggregation of vehicle flexibility via a digital pooling platform, and transparent remuneration models for participants into an integrated overall system..
The system architecture has been designed for scalability from the outset, ranging from a few hundred to tens of thousands of electric vehicles. In this way, LadeFlexBW makes an important contribution to integrating electric mobility into the energy system quickly, cost-effectively and in a practical, system-friendly manner.
Real-world laboratory for the energy transition – insights for policymakers, markets and grids
The field trial is aimed specifically at private electric vehicle drivers in Baden-Wuerttemberg. Participants charge their vehicles as usual; charging times are optimised automatically in the background. At the same time, they receive financial compensation for the flexibility they provide.
The insights gained from LadeFlexBW will provide valuable impetus for the further development of energy and grid tariff structures, new digital charging and mobility services, regulatory models for the use of decentralised flexibility, and the integration of electric mobility into an increasingly renewable-based energy system.
Join now – turning electric vehicles into building blocks of the energy system
We are currently looking for committed users from Baden-Wuerttemberg who would like to take part in the LadeFlexBW pilot project with their electric vehicle.
Interested private electric vehicle owners with their own wallbox in Baden-Wuerttemberg can find further information about the project and the registration process at www.ladeflexbw.de.
For further information, please contact:
LadeFlexBW project team: support@ladeflexbw.de
Press contacts:
Intelligent Energy System Services GmbH
Ann Kristin Deutschmann
+49 (0) 152 55219724
ann-kristin.deutschmann@ie2s.com
TransnetBW GmbH
Matthias Ruchser
+49 (0)175 4110248
m.ruchser@transnetbw.de