The Berlin electricity grid is being run at 100% efficiency with further improvements to supply reliability
11.10.2013
It doesn't get better than this: The Berlin electricity grid is being run at 100% efficiency with further improvements to supply reliability
It doesn't get better than this:
The Berlin electricity grid is being run at 100% efficiency with further improvements to supply reliability
In the Federal Network Agency's five-year nationwide study comparing the efficiency of German electricity grids, the Berlin grid scores 100%, the best possible result. "This is terrific news for all Berlin residents. It demonstrates that the operation and usage costs for the capital city's grid are in perfect balance. You can't get more efficient than this," says Dr Helmar Rendez, Chair of the Management Board at Stromnetz Berlin GmbH, Berlin's electricity distribution system operator.
Based on data taken from 2011, the Federal Network Agency ascertained and compared the technical and economic efficiency of the German distribution system operators. The results show that Stromnetz Berlin GmbH is one of the most efficient grid operators in Germany. A key factor for the comparison was the relation of the grid operator's costs to, among other things, the size of its grid area, the number of grid customers and its technical asset investment. This means that Berlin residents have access to one of the best grids in Germany in terms of its cost/benefit ratio.
The result of the quality control carried out by the Federal Network Agency is also available. It reveals that Berlin's supply reliability, which was already strong, has been further improved. This may be because the company has invested in quality enhancement measures such as the automation of the medium-voltage level and programmes for replacing cable sections that are potentially susceptible to faults. The average length of electricity failures per household per year is just 12 minutes in Berlin, and this is expected to be gradually lowered to less than 10 minutes over the next few years. The national average is 15 minutes.
At the beginning of October, the Federal Network Agency informed the Berlin grid operator of the results of the efficiency comparison and quality control so that they could be taken into account when setting the provisional grid fees, which were to be published on 15 October.