Supervisor: Agnes Engelter
Earliest start: immediately
Type: Master Thesis

To achieve climate-neutral heat supply by 2045, many German municipalities must create a municipal heat plan where it is decided whether individual districts will be supplied centrally via district heating or decentrally via e.g. heat pumps. However, there are still districts where the decision is not definite. So far, the decision making is based mostly on heat-only indicators like the linear heat density, whereas the effect of power-to-heat (P2H) technologies on the electricity grid is not considered.
However, P2H technologies offer new flexibility potentials to the electricity grid by exploiting the thermal storage capacity of buildings, thermal networks, and/or dedicated new thermal energy storages (TES). Using an existing optimization model and given real data for an exemplary district, the goal of this thesis is to develop and evaluate an optimized heat supply by P2H with the consideration of flexibility provision to the electricity grid as an additional revenue stream. The student should extend the existing model to accurately consider the value of flexibility value in the decision for any P2H solution.
Methodology:

1. Data preparation: Prepare real-world input data, such as building stock, demand, cost, and technology data
2. Extend existing optimization model: Include improved storage model to capture flexibilities
3. Analysis of results: Evaluate system costs and emissions based on input assumptions and assess impact of flexibility inclusion

Programming skills (e.g. Python) are required. Knowledge in basic optimization, in energy systems, and GIS is helpful.

Supervisor: Agnes Engelter
Earliest start: immediately
Type: Bachelor Thesis

To achieve climate-neutral heat supply by 2045, many German municipalities must create a municipal heat plan, where it is decided whether individual districts will be supplied centrally via district heating (DH) or decentrally via e.g. heat pumps (HP). However, there are still districts where the decision is not definite. So far, the decision making is based mostly on heat-only indicators like the linear heat density, whereas the effect of power-to-heat (P2H) technologies on the electricity grid is not considered.
Using an existing optimization model and given real-world data for an exemplary district, the goal of this thesis is to develop and evaluate an optimized heat supply based on P2H technologies. The student should extend the existing model to assess the required capacity of the electricity grid caused by the additional electricity demand of P2H.
Methodology:

1. Data preparation: Prepare real-world input data, such as building stock, demand, cost, and technology data
2. Extend optimization model: Include electricity grid limitations in the existing energy system optimization model
3. Analysis of results: Evaluate system costs and emissions based on input assumptions

Programming skills in Python are required. Knowledge in basic optimization, in energy systems, and GIS is helpful.