KNX Journal 2011-1

KNX Partners
rithms. This is an essential prerequisite for
the commercial adjustment of the electrical
loads in Smart Grid houses of the future. For
example, the total consumption in a partial
power grid e.g. a low-voltage network can
be adapted to the local energy production
from renewable energy.
Target
For teaching purposes, the test stand
will serve to provide the students with
both theoretical and practical knowledge.
The cooperative partnerships with ABB,
Crestron, EEBus and KNX (KNX Scientific
Partnership) will help in this regard. These
partnerships are not financially based but
rather are used to exchange knowledge and
should therefore help to achieve realistic
or market-based research and training of
the students in the area of Smart Grid and
security of supply.
In their main studies, the students must
carry out eight experiments on test rigs.
One of the experiments is carried out
next semester on the building technology
test stand. On the one hand, the students
learn what an intelligent building control
system can look like, which is necessary in
the Smart Grid of the future. On the other
hand, they must themselves plan a building
control system in the preliminary stages
using the example of a small flat and then
implement it in practice on the test stand.
The students use corresponding software
tools for creating circuit diagrams (Striebel
& John Strieplan) and for programming the
building control system (ETS).
In addition, the students carry out research
work on the test stand such as bachelor
and master theses. In particular, theses are
assigned in the area of load management.
They examine for example to what extent
the problem of voltage boost in a local
network with a high photovoltaic supply
can be counteracted through load adjustment,
thus preventing an overload of the
local network. In the future, high numbers of
electric vehicles could lead to simultaneous
charging for example in the evening when
many people are driving home from work
and want to charge their vehicles. This
would result in a high load which could
cause problems for the energy grid in the
same way as an excessive feed-in. In their
research work, students examine to what
extent staggered charging can reduce the
problem dependent on the parking time.
They also program special charging modes
based on variable electricity tariffs. Additionally,
corresponding load adjustment
algorithms are developed which should be
evaluated for their suitability using simulations
of real low-voltage networks. These
algorithms are then implemented in the
test stand and road-tested.
KNX energy actuators
KNX Smart Metering
Test stand under development
Journal 1/2011
47