Heat pumps create balance between power production and consumption
Denmark in the north to Portugal in the south, we are connected in a single common electricity grid. Therefore, an imbalance between electricity consumption and production in, for example, Portugal can theoretically be "felt" as a disturbance in Denmark.
With fast response times and high flexibility, heat pumps are becoming a key component in maintaining balance in the modern power system – second by second.
How to ensure the power system doesn't collapse
Phasing our power plants requires new balancing methods
ABOUT THIS ARTICLE:
We phase out power plants because we are transitioning to new and greener energy technologies. But this also means that new ways are needed to balance electricity production with immediate electricity consumption. Heat pumps play an essential role here.
The word balancing simply means that the consumption of electricity every single second, day and night, year-round, must match the production of electricity. This means that the consumption from, for example, light bulbs, pumps, coffee machines, TVs, heat pumps, etc., must always precisely match the electricity production from power plants, solar cells, wind turbines, etc. If these do not match up to the second, the electricity system will either be overfilled or emptied of electricity. This results in the grid frequency deviating from the required 50 Hertz.
We have designed the brain of the balance regulation - or the "control levers" that DIN Forsyning has available to help balance the power grid. Added Values has designed the balance regulator, which is the brain of the entire balancing issue on both the electricity and district heating sides. The system is developed in Modelica, an advanced modeling language where the process dynamics in boilers, heat pumps, heat accumulator tanks, gas engines, pumps, etc., can be simulated.
The power system of the future demands flexible solutions – and heat pumps deliver.
When the wind dies down or clouds block the sun, electricity production drops. And it happens within seconds.
As electricity increasingly comes from solar and wind, we need new technologies that can ramp up and down quickly – and take over when traditional power plants are no longer in place.
That’s where heat pumps come into play. With high flexibility and fast response capabilities, they are ideal for balancing the grid. They can absorb surplus electricity and reduce consumption when production dips – exactly what’s needed to keep the frequency stable.
At DIN Forsyning, they’ve invested in this type of balancing technology. The seawater heat pumps in Esbjerg are a prime example of future-proof energy infrastructure – built to respond in seconds and play an active role in the modern power system.
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