We are bundling our activities in four cross-center lighthouses to tackle key challenges of energy transition.
ESD Lighthouses
Within ESD, researchers of all centers work together in four joint Lighthouses.
- In the Lighthouse Transition Scenarios until 2045, we create and assess comprehensive socio-technical energy scenarios including techno-economic considerations as well as societal and political factors influencing the acceptance of technologies, behavioral patterns, willingness to support the energy transition, and institutional and organizational influences.
- The Lighthouse Sustainability Assessment encompasses prospective systems analysis research, sustainability assessment methodologies, and technology integration, focusing on emerging technologies like hydrogen, Power-to-X, batteries and negative emission technologies, ensuring a comprehensive approach considering stakeholder values and sustainability.
- The third Lighthouse summarizes the research and results of the ESD program in the field of Local Energy Transformation. The research results address three central challenges: (i) Optimal design of sector-coupled, local energy systems; (ii) Safe and efficient operation of sector-coupled local energy systems; and (iii) Control of local, inverter-dominated power grids.
- The focus of the Lighthouse Large Scale Energy Systems lies on the coupling of electricity and gas grids at the large-scale transmission level and the integration of large-scale flexibilities.