PRESS RELEASE
Smart Grid pilot project
Fronius supports stable grid operation
(Wels, 31.10.2011) Eberstalzell in scenic Upper Austria not only boasts the largest photovoltaic (PV)
research power station in Austria, it is also the site of a Smart Grid demonstration system. The aim of
the system is to be well prepared for the increase in use of renewable sources of energy. Stable grid
operation and maximum reliability of supply must be guaranteed. Fronius inverters support these
objectives.
By the end of 2015, it is expected that 6,000 new solar power systems will go on stream in Austria each year.
The grids must be able to cope with this onslaught, so robust and intelligent systems are the order of the day.
The pilot project in Eberstalzell is a control concept for an active low-voltage grid. A specific grid segment that
will contain around 70 photovoltaic systems is to be used as a test array. A Fronius IG Plus V inverter will be
installed in each of these PV systems to provide stable grid operation.
"This test grid will enable us to control the devices within it. Existing control functions in the inverter can be
modified and optimised from a higher-level grid controller, transforming a low-voltage system into a Smart Grid."
explains Dr. Martin Heidl of Fronius System Technology. The objective is to be able to feed in more decentrally
generated electricity, without any power losses, than would be possible were the Smart Grid measures not in
place.
The reactive power control provided by the Fronius inverter enables the grid voltage to be held within the
required limits. Being able to communicate directly with the Smart Grid means that the technically ingenious
control algorithms in the Fronius inverter can be modified remotely. The Smart Grid Controller uses data from
the Smart Meter to control the transformer and the inverter, enabling the entire grid to be optimised in terms of
voltage stability, maximum feed-in and low levels of loss.
The research project is being led by the AIT (Austrian Institute of Technology) and carried out in conjunction
with Energie AG Oberösterreich Netz GmbH, Siemens AG Austria, Linz Strom Netz GmbH, Salzburg Netz
GmbH and BEWAG Netz GmbH. Installation will start in spring 2012 and the project as a whole is scheduled to
run for three years.
The PV research power station in Eberstalzell is the source of another item of good news. Here, 18 Fronius CL
central inverters have been providing unusually rosy results for one year now: *current yields are ten percent
higher than the already optimistic forecasts provided by the solar specialists. On April 16th, the 1,000,000th
kilowatt hour of electricity was fed into the Energie AG grid.
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* Source: Press release from EnergieAG Oberösterreich, 06.05.2011.
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Photo 1: Schematic of DG DemoNet Smart LV Grid project
Photo 2: Dr. Martin Heidl, System Technology, Fronius International.
Photo 3: The Smart Grid demonstration grid uses Fronius IG Plus series
inverters exclusively.
Photo 1: Energie AG Upper Austria, reproduction free of charge.
Photos 2 + 3: Fronius International GmbH, reproduction free of charge.
About Fronius International GmbH
Fronius International is an Austrian company with headquarters in Pettenbach and other sites in Wels, Thalheim
and Sattledt. With 3,250 employees worldwide, the company is active in the fields of battery charging systems,
welding technology and solar electronics. Around 95% of its products are exported through 17 international
Fronius subsidiaries and sales partners/representatives in over 60 countries. In financial year 2010, the
company generated a total turnover of 499 million euros. With its outstanding products and services and 737
active patents, Fronius is world technology leader. 392 employees work in research and development.
Enquiries:
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Andrea SCHARTNER, +43 664 88536765, schartner.andrea@fronius.com,
Froniusplatz 1, 4600 Wels, Austria.
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