Interview with Prof. Thorsten Schneiders from Cologne University of Applied Sciences – project leader of EnerSHelF’s work package 3.1. He explains the importance of measuring the power demand and load structure to identify the appropriate technology for the implementation at the three health facilities in Ghana.
Work package 3 aims to improve the country- and sector-based forecast of solar power generation (PV) and consumption (health facilities). What is the specific aim of your work package 3.1 “Electricity demand of the Ghanaian Health Sector”?
To supplement existing power supply systems with renewable energy sources, more information about the power demand in a higher resolution is needed. Our aim is to fill these information gaps by long-term measurements of power demand and load structure at several medium-sized health facilities. In a second step, we use the measurement data to derive a load model for Ghanaian health facilities, which can generate synthetic load profiles as close to reality as possible. We have observed that newly installed technology such as LED lights is sensitive to voltage fluctuations occurring in Ghana. These power system transients should also be qualified and quantified by means of the measurements in order to identify the appropriate technology to implement at such sites.
How do you address this, what activities have you started to implement the necessary measurements?
At the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, the necessary measurement equipment is already procured and ready to install. It is planned to have the measuring instruments installed in Ghana at the three field sites by an employee of the Cologne University of Applied Sciences and local craftsmen.
What are the results so far, and the next steps?
The measurement equipment has been tested and prepared for the installation in Ghana. In addition, existing measurements from the past years have been evaluated. As the next step, the measurements shall be undertaken in the three selected Ghanaian health facilities. We are hoping that this will be possible soon given the current restrictions due to the Corona crisis.
Thorsten Schneiders is a professor for energy storage at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Cologne, Germany. He is working at the Cologne Institute for Renewable Energy (CIRE), teaching on energy storage, renewable energy technologies, grid infrastructure, energy economics and policy. Additionally, he is supervising various research projects in the field of smart technologies in industry, energy management and energy efficiency, energy storage, electric mobility and integration of renewable energy into the energy supply system and grid infrastructure. Since 2017, he is heading the Virtual Institute Smart Energy – an interdisciplinary research platform for stakeholders from research public sector and industry to jointly research on the implications of digitization and smart technologies in the energy industry. Thorsten Schneiders brings in various years of experience from working in the private sector for the German electric utility company E.ON on renewable projects all over the world.