JenErgieReal: Supplying cities holistically with energy

What is it all about?

With the JenErgieReal project, Stadtwerke Jena, together with our above mentioned partners from different sectors, want to find answers to the central questions of the energy transition:

• How can cities be sustainably supplied with electricity and heat in the future?
• How can the energy transition succeed in urban areas in a cost-effective and demand-oriented manner?
• How can people be involved in this transformation process?

The project follows an interdisciplinary approach. An initial theoretical consideration is followed by a practical phase in which the findings are demonstrated and implemented on site in Jena.

Who is involved?

The JenErgieReal project is an interdisciplinary collaboration of suppliers, grid operators, municipalities, industry, housing sector, science, and social associations. The project partners involved are:

• Stadtwerke Energie Jena-Pößneck
• Stadtwerke Jena Netze
• jenawohnen
• City of Jena
• Westsächsische Hochschule Zwickau
• Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule Jena
• AWO Regionalverband Mitte-West-Thüringen e.V.
• Brunata Metrona

What exactly is the plan?

Until 2027, large-scale electrical storage systems as well as photovoltaic and solar thermal systems are to be built throughout the city of Jena. The aim is to involve different areas of the urban energy system as integrated energy.

For example, energy storage systems will be installed at charging stations or combined with combined heat and power plants to generate electricity and heat. Electric vehicles are also to be integrated as short-term energy storage systems.

Particular attention is paid to the use of thermal energy. For instance, the aim is to generate heat decentrally from various renewable sources. Further, thermal losses are to be reused to a greater extent.

To create a network of the various generators, storage facilities and consumers, a virtual power plant is created with a digital infrastructure. In this way, the load distribution of the grid with its different actors - ranging from generators to large-scale electrical storage and electromobility to the end consumer - can be controlled highly flexibly in real time, always adjusting to the current situation.