“Power Charts” Knowledge Platform Celebrates its tenth 12 months as Reality Supplier for the Power Transition

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Can Germany meet its electrical energy demand with renewables? How a lot electrical energy is imported from nuclear and coal-fired energy crops? Will a photo voltaic eclipse result in a blackout? Ten years in the past, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photo voltaic Power Methods ISE launched the “Power Charts” knowledge platform to objectify the talk on the power transition. At present, the web site provides detailed interactive knowledge not solely on electrical energy era, local weather knowledge, emissions and trade costs for Germany but in addition on the electrical energy era for 42 European international locations and the European electrical energy trade. This makes it some of the complete knowledge platforms on the European power market at present.

It began with a press launch: In 2011, the media warned of a blackout on the vacation Whit Monday as a result of grid feed-in from photo voltaic was excessive and the load low. Prof. Bruno Burger from Fraunhofer ISE was so aggravated by this that he started to compile knowledge on energy era in a set of slides. “I wished to make the talk in regards to the power transition extra goal by offering the general public with easy-to-understand knowledge.”

From slide set to app

Because of the excessive demand for the information, the set of slides rapidly grew to 280 pages. This gave rise to the concept of a web site on which power knowledge will be flexibly uploaded and visualized in interactive graphics, permitting the guests to show the information as wanted. Beginning with knowledge on energy, power and electrical energy trade costs, the web site was progressively expanded to incorporate knowledge on photo voltaic and wind energy manufacturing, power imports and exports, local weather knowledge, energy plant emissions and an interactive map displaying the put in energy crops.

At present, the Power Charts group attracts on 16 completely different knowledge sources. The info is first cleaned after which ready to be used within the interactive graphics. To constantly enhance the platform, the group often performed consumer surveys and provided workshops in regards to the website. New designs and knowledge classes had been launched in two initiatives, funded by the German Federal Environmental Basis DBU.

The Power Charts web site now supplies knowledge in 4 languages (German, English, French and Italian) and for 42 European international locations. The time decision has additionally elevated from weekly to each day to quarter-hourly time steps. Forecast values are additionally obtainable for knowledge corresponding to anticipated electrical energy era and electrical energy trade costs.

Since December 2023, the web site is supplemented by an app, known as “PowerSignal,” which reveals the present share of renewables within the web public electrical energy era for twelve European international locations and the day-ahead electrical energy value for 34 international locations. Homeowners of electrical vehicles, warmth pumps or good properties can use the app to handle their electrical energy consumption with a view to use the greenest attainable electrical energy combine. Main European family equipment producer BSH Hausgeräte GmbH, which owns manufacturers corresponding to Bosch, Siemens, Gaggenau and Neff, is already utilizing the information from the PowerSignal app. The Fraunhofer group makes the information obtainable to all events on the web site and through an open interface (API).

Nice response from the media and the general public

At present, the Power Charts platform is without doubt one of the most often used web sites for power knowledge in Germany. Representatives from science, the media, politics and the power business, however for essentially the most half, individuals within the power transition entry the information. The web site has round 100 million hits per yr and round 250 million graphics are delivered. Between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., the web site is accessed 200,000 to 250,000 instances per hour.

Prof. Burger’s efforts to advertise the academic consciousness of the power transition are usually not restricted to the Power Charts web site. Annually he offers over 100 interviews, lectures and seminars informing individuals with the most recent information in regards to the power transition. Round 400 media studies per yr cite knowledge from both the Power Charts or from Prof. Burger immediately. Greater than 7500 tweets with present power graphs have been posted on the platform X, the place the Power Charts platform has been obtainable since 2016. At present it has over 25,000 followers.

To handle the rising demand for a discussion board for trade on the power figures, the Power Charts Talks had been initiated in June 2021. The discussion board is open to all and takes place on-line originally of every month. The present electrical energy era figures in addition to the brand new capabilities and knowledge are offered and mentioned. Every month round 100 to 150 members attend.

Courtesy of Fraunhofer ISE.