SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF ENERGY SUPPLY INCLUDING THE USE OF WASTE-BASED BIOGAS PROCESSES

Abstract

In order to meet the goal of 50% renewables in the electrical energy mix till 2030 set by the German government the expansion must be continued. One of the biggest problems with the increasing share of renewable energy are the arising fluctuations. In this study it was investigated how the manageability of the biogas production from waste can be used to create a flexible production strategy in order to improve the reliability of a renewable energy supply. The current misbalances between energy demand and supply of wind turbines and PV systems are the basis for this new strategy. The simulation is based on a stand-alone 100% renewable energy supply of a model town with a population of 1,600 people. In order to investigate the impact of this new biogas management strategy using 100% renewable energy supply (including wind and solar energy) a simulation tool using MATLAB was designed. Furthermore, to receive preliminary real data regarding flexible biogas production tests were done with a plug-flow digester. Lastly, an economic analysis regarding the profitability was carried out. Simulations in this study have shown that using a flexible and demand adapted biogas management can reduce the required battery capacity by up to 60%. Nonetheless, the combination with feed-in management of wind and solar power has to be further investigated.