Danger for the power grid: reactive power and voltage management as a technical core problem

With the massive expansion of fluctuating producers, the functioning of the power grid is fundamentally changing. Conventional generation plants not only supplied active power over decades, but also reactive power and thus the necessary support for constant voltage patterns. If these services now come less often from traditional power plants, gaps in theVoltage management that can lead to local voltage drop, resonance or unstable network situations without targeted countermeasures. This technical dimension has a significant impact on the security of supply because voltage and reactive power are direct prerequisites for the stable operation of electrical consumers and transformers.

Volatility, control and the load on the network management

The fluctuating feed-in by wind and solar systems requires a much more dynamic grid control than just a few years ago. Network operators need to intervene more frequently, adjust control reserve clocks and continuously monitor flowing power chains to prevent overvoltage and undervoltage. The control load thus shifts towards complex coordination betweendecentralized producers, storage and network infrastructure. If these coordination and communication processes are not sufficiently designed, the probability of local problems escalating and growing into greater disruption increases.

Local instabilities and chain reactions

A lack of reactive power compensation can first be seen as local instability, for example in the form of voltage fluctuations or protective shutdowns triggered because of this. Such local interferences have the potential to trigger chain reactions because shutdowns in a network zone shift the load to adjacent lines and transformers. without sufficient redundancy and targetedCompensation quickly spread, so that a small incident can become a major failure. This danger is often underestimated because it only becomes acute with unfavorable combinations of network structure, weather conditions and feed-in patterns.

Technical countermeasures and compensation needs

The answer to the problem lies in technical diversity: construction of capacitive and active compensation systems, use of power electronic systems, probes for reactive power control and targeted use of storage for stabilization. This also includes modernizing transformers, lines and switchgear to tolerate more dynamic voltage requirements. noEvery measure can be used universally; An intelligent combination of network amplification, sector coupling and decentralized control brings the greatest effect. The investment needs and the planning work are considerable, but they are a prerequisite for security of supply and network quality to be maintained.

Dependency on communication and control

Modern compensation strategies are increasingly focusing on coordination via communication networks and automated controls. In many cases, decentralized generators and power electronics must be able to be remotely controlled so that reactive power can be provided dynamically or absorbed. This dependency creates new vulnerabilities, because failures in control andCommunication infrastructure can significantly limit the effectiveness of electrical control. Safety and redundancy in the control paths are therefore just as important as physical grid stability.

Interaction of several effects as an underestimated risk driver

The greatest danger is not a single technical defect, but in the combination of several effects: high feed-in peaks, local lack of compensation, limited network capacity and insufficient control reserves. When these factors coincide, system loads reach critical limits more quickly, and short-term balancing mechanisms are no longer sufficient. The scenariomore complex Interactions makes risk assessment more difficult and requires an integrated view of generation, network expansion and system operation.

Planning, policy and operational need for action

In order to make the transformation into renewable energies safe, network planning, investments in compensation technology and intelligent control concepts must be interlinked. It requires binding specifications for reactive power capability, targeted promotion of storage and compensation infrastructure as well as robust communication and control systems. only through coordinated operations,Network planning and political framework conditions can be prevented from remaining associated with an increased risk of failure. In the long term, securing grid stability is a key prerequisite for renewable energies being able to reliably supply supply and power outages not becoming the new normal.