Decentralized seasonal electricity storage and
grid-supporting innovations
As a contribution to the success of the energy transition, the DBU is publishing the “Storage and grids” funding initiative. The funding initiative is aimed at new, innovative and sustainable ideas for the stabilization, resilience and ecological optimization of the electricity supply – decentralized at the distribution grid level.
In order to generate synergies, the development of new grid-supporting functionalities on the one hand and new ways of storing electrical energy or its decarbonized energy sources decentrally and seasonally on the other are being promoted. Elements of sector coupling, for example in the area of heat utilization, are possible.
The funding initiative has two focal points: Decentralized seasonal electricity storage and grid-supporting innovations.
DBU call for tenders “Storage and grids”, focus
Decentralized seasonal electricity storage
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Jörg Lefèvre
j.lefevre@dbu.de
0541 9633-210
DBU call for tenders “Storage and grids”, focus
Grid-friendly innovations
Contact:
Dr. Katrin Anneser
k.anneser@dbu.de
0541 9633-242
In addition to our three traditional funding opportunities— project funding, Green Start-up, and support for early-career researchers (MOE Fellowship and doctoral scholarship)—this funding initiative included an additional project track. In an ideas competition, up to 15,000 euros were made available per funded project. The goal was to take ideas that had previously existed only in a rudimentary form and put them on paper and evaluate them technically within three to four months. Promising results could subsequently receive further funding. Additional information on this project track is available in the video and in the two call for proposals documents. Since the ideas competition has already ended, it is no longer possible to submit ideas. Of course, regular project proposals can still be submitted via the online application system.
DBU tender “Storage and grids”, additional project access
Ideas competition
DBU Symposium on the funding initiative “Storage and Grids”
On June 16, 2026, a symposium on the “Storage and Networks” funding initiative was held at the Center for Environmental Communication of the German Federal Environmental Foundation in Osnabrück. You can find more information about the program here. You can download the presentation slides from the talks below.
Session 1: Industrial Flexibility and Load Curve Adjustment
- Industrial Energy Flexibility for Cold Storage Facilities (Dyke Wilke, Flexality GmbH)
- Development of an Energy-Efficient Control Strategy for Data Centers to Optimize Waste Heat Utilization Through Intelligent Load Management (Jochen Klipfel, IT Vision Technologie GmbH)
- Optimizing Heat Pump Operation in Multi-Family Buildings (Nils Bartig, Vaestro GmbH)
Session 2: Grid-Friendly Battery Storage
- Intelligent Use of Short- and Long-Term Storage in the Distribution Grid (Catherine Adelmann, Ulm University of Applied Sciences)
- Grid-Beneficial Flexibility of Large-Scale Batteries in the Haßberge District (Marvin Studtrucker, Center for Applied Energy Research e. V. (CAE))
- AI-Based Site Selection and Operational Optimization of Large-Scale Battery Storage Systems to Ensure Grid Stability (Marco Obermeier, Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences)
Session 3: Innovative Storage Solutions
- Thermal-Gravitational Long-Term MWh Energy Storage Systems (Robert Zelmer, idyl.technologies GmbH)
- From Scrap to Green Energy—Steel as a Long-Term Energy Storage Medium (Dr. Rico Meitzner, Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK))
- Rechargeable alkaline Zn-MnO2 batteries for cost-effective decentralized seasonal electricity storage (Dr. Emanuele Marini, Baden-Württemberg Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW))
You can find the video recording of the event on our YouTube channel:
For the recordFunded projects
- Industrial energy flexibilization for refrigerated warehouses (fleXality GmbH)
- Storage for renewable energies (idyl.technologies GmbH)
- Integration of stationary battery storage systems into an AI-supported system for digital grid status determination – “KI-Battery” (Gridhound GmbH)
- Grid-serving flexibility of large-scale batteries in the Haßberge district (Center for Applied Energy Reserarch e. V.)
- Development of an innovative high-performance methanation reactor for decentralized energy storage – 1st phase: Catalyst and design investigations (CYTOK GmbH)
- Smart Grid Synergy: Standardized integration of grid and market signals in Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) (EEBus Initiative e. V.)
- AI-based site selection and operational optimization of large-scale battery storage systems to ensure grid stability and potentially reduce the need for grid expansion (Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences)
- Development of a bi-directional charging and discharging integration of electric vehicles on a large-scale, PV-covered car parking lot for the low-grid-feedback energy supply of an electrically operated island ferry (BIDI-EL) (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences)
- Decentralized optimization of the existing energy supply infrastructure through self-learning agent systems (DOSA) (Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH))
- Development of an energy-efficient control strategy for data centers for optimized waste heat utilization through intelligent load management (“Synsera”) (IT Vision Technology GmbH)
- Innovative alternating current battery (Revolta AG)
- Optimized use of decentralized waste heat potentials of data centers and electrolysers (Agentur für Erneuerbare Energien (AEE) e. V.)
- Grid serviceability of farms (Technical University of Braunschweig)
- RiDERgy’s Advanced Energy Management Software (RiDERgy GmbH)
Promoted ideas
- Seasonal thermal sand storage (Franz Evers)
- 2nd-Life-Battery powered High Power Charger (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences)
- Scrap to green energy – steel as an innovative energy storage system (University of Applied Sciences)
- Iron oxide powder as an energy and hydrogen storage medium (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)
- MapGPT (regionalwerke GmbH & Co. KG)
- Storage for balcony solar (Balkon.Solar e. V.)
- MicroG 4 Rail – Utilization options for PV power generated on the track (QINUM GmbH)
- Intelligent use of short and long-term storage in the distribution grid (Ulm University of Applied Sciences)
- Ecological and grid-friendly: piloting plug & play battery storage systems for rental households (Zwiesel Ventures UG (haftungsbeschränkt))
- Primary control in microgrids (Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences)