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Implications of Battery and Gas Storage for Germany’s National Energy Management with Increasing Volatile Energy Sources

Author

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  • Joachim Dengler

    (Independent Researcher, 69151 Neckargemünd, Germany)

  • Björn Peters

    (Peters Coll. Unternehmens- und Politikberatung, 65779 Kelkheim, Germany)

Abstract

Weather-dependent, volatile energy sources, such as wind power and solar photovoltaics (PV), contribute considerably to the German electric energy supply. The current German government aims to substantially increase their market share. Using high-resolution time-series data from energy production and demand measurements, we replicate and analyze scenarios from the “Klimaneutrales Deutschland 2045” (KND2045) study. KND2045 was the basis for the German Government’s 2021 decision to move the abolition of CO 2 emissions from 2050 to 2045. The primary question in KND2045 is whether security of supply can be maintained by relying primarily on an effective duopoly of wind and solar power. We simulate scenarios for 2023, 2030, and 2045 using 15-min time-resolved measurements of wind and solar energy production and demand from 2023 and 2024, incorporating battery and gas storage systems into our model. We assess the overall economic costs for these scenarios. Our calculations demonstrate that the KND2045 scenarios are infeasible, as significant supply gaps persist during dark wind lulls, compromising security of supply. Instead, we propose improvements to these scenarios by incorporating nuclear energy as a backup to address KND2045’s shortcomings.

Suggested Citation

  • Joachim Dengler & Björn Peters, 2025. "Implications of Battery and Gas Storage for Germany’s National Energy Management with Increasing Volatile Energy Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-27, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:12:p:5295-:d:1674390
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. Bender, Jonas & Fait, Larissa & Wetzel, Heike, 2024. "Acceptance of demand-side flexibility in the residential heating sector — Evidence from a stated choice experiment in Germany," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    4. Jan Stede, 2016. "Demand Response in Germany: Technical Potential, Benefits and Regulatory Challenges," DIW Roundup: Politik im Fokus 96, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
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