AUDI

Audi develops smart power network
Automotive, home and power source combined to form an intelligent energy grid: for the first time, the Audi Smart Energy Network pilot project interacts with the grid. This means a major advance for the stability of the network.As part of a research project, Audi is carrying out a pilot project with families in the Ingolstadt (Germany) area and the Zurich region (Switzerland) together with other partners. This project involves the combination of multi-dimensional photovoltaic systems with stationary energy storage batteries. Control software from Zurich's Ampard start-up company intelligently distributes solar energy based on the current or planned demand for the car, housing and heating system. A unique feature of this pilot project is that it also interacts with the power grid: through an integrated communication interface, all systems are interconnected to form a virtual energy production unit and constitute an intelligent network.Connected household storage devices can provide what is known as balancing power. In other words, they compensate for the fluctuations between power generation and consumption, and stabilize the grid frequency by temporarily storing smaller amounts of energy in stationary units in a short period. In this way, internal consumption is optimized: photovoltaic system operators increase the proportion of their own solar energy while reducing their energy acquisition costs."We are looking at electric mobility in the context of a global energy supply system increasingly based on renewable energy. We are playing a pioneering role in pre-qualifying the energy equality market - allowing producers to power the grid with energy as part of the pilot project. This system is, for the first time, also possible at the level of individual dwellings, which helps to balance the entire electrical network, "said Dr. Hagen Seifert, responsible for Audi's Sustainable Products projects.As part of its research into premium emissions-free mobility, Audi is also looking at services that expand as a product beyond the car. An important aspect is the interrelationship between all areas of life where the vehicle fits perfectly with a connected environment. There is a special focus on services that involve the interaction between the car and the environment.

Vasco Reis, Portugal