Implications of Battery and Gas Storage on the German National Energy Management with Increasing Volatile Energy Source

Volatile energy sources in the form of wind power and photovoltaics contribute considerably to German electric energy. Based on high time resolution measurements resulting in high-quality time series data of energy production and demand, scenarios of a study "Klimaneutrales Deutschland 2045" are repeated and discussed. This study was the basis for the German Government to reduce CO2 emissions to zero within a short period until 2045. Due to the real data at the core of the investigation, the question of bridging gaps of short renewable supply is not a theoretical one. The simulation allows the upscaling of the used wind and solar energy production, the scaling of the demand, and also the simulation of arbitrarily sized battery or gas storage systems. For battery and gas storage systems, the overall cost is assessed. The simulated storage systems are assumed to be charged at times of surplus renewable energy and discharged when there is a production deficit. Its underlying assumptions are described in detail. The simulation sets its focus on the assumptions and claims of the study that steer the actual political decisions and investigates the feasibility of the concept.