Sustain Grid - SF research project

Software Factory worked closely with its project partners Beckhoff Automation and Fraunhofer AISEC on the „Sustain Grid“ research project, which was funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs and Media, Energy and Technology.

The project was designed to meet the challenges of the energy transition, which requires a future-proof power supply infrastructure.

One problem with renewable energies is their high volatility. Transport capacities are playing an increasingly important role in avoiding critical supply situations. Modern power electronics could cushion this, but this requires a coordinated approach by the most important parties. The contradiction between a comprehensive flow of information on the one hand and the protection of data and system security on the other must be resolved.

Standardised and secure communication in the grid is one of the most important prerequisites for implementing a reliable smart grid. The security and conformity of the grid elements is the subject of research. Part of the research assignment was to develop suitable test tools that enable reliable and sustainable system integration, to identify the existing gaps in the area of testing and to cover them in smart grids by developing suitable test tools in the areas of communication and IT security. The focus was on interoperability tests of control devices in accordance with IEC 61850, conformity tests of inverters for the integration of PV systems into the low-voltage grid, testing in the area of smart metering and penetration tests for IT security in the grid.