Planning Strategy for a Zero Carbon Cross Sectoral Energy System

This paper presents a new multi-criteria optimization model for energy system planning that combines the sectors of electricity, heat, material use (gas, fuels, H2) and mobility. In contrast to other multi-criteria approaches for energy-system-planning the aim of the presented model is to find an optimal set of technologies to reduce and finally provide a CO2 neutral energy system by 2050 at the latest in a cost-optimal manner. To do so, a wide set of generation and storage technologies as well as the sector connecting Power-to-X technologies are modeled in a technical and economical manner. The planning process is restricted by realistic assumptions for the potentials and the annual expansion rates for the different technologies. To depict the uncertain political and social conditions, a euphoric and a conservative scenario are investigated. The different accounting methods for the emissions are discussed to find an energy system that is not strongly dependent on the remaining German energy system. The assumptions and first results of the case study for Thuringia are presented and discussed in the paper.