Energy systems: studying the impact of climate change on the transmission grid

As extreme weather events, in particular heatwaves, increasingly threaten global infrastructure, a precise understanding of their impact on electricity grids is crucial for enhancing societal resilience and security. This project delves into the effects of heatwaves on the European electricity grid using a comprehensive real-world dataset. Recognizing that conventional power flow analysis often neglects temperature’s effect on grid operation limits, potentially leading to incomplete assessments of grid resilience, it aims to develop a novel temperature-dependent segment-based approach for more accurate and efficient power flow analysis that accounts for temperature impacts.

It applies the method to evaluate the robustness of the European electricity grid across various heatwave scenarios. The results highlight significant national differences: while Spain’s grid exhibits temperature-induced capacity bottlenecks that could jeopardize power supply during critical times, Germany’s grid shows remarkable resilience. These findings emphasize the need for temperature-aware grid analysis and planning to mitigate climate change risks and ensure energy security.