Field trip on the energy transition :
in Osthessen and the Rhön

As part of the course run by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Isabell Wirth "Energy storage" and "Construction and operation of electrical grids", a group of students from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology visited various energy projects in Osthessen and the Rhön region. The field trip to Hünfeld, Treischfeld, Geisa and Buttlar clearly showed how the energy system is increasingly developing in the direction of flexibility, balancing energy and municipal heat planning.

Battery storage in Hünfeld

Mr Gollbach, Managing Director of Stadtwerke Hünfeld, started off by presenting the battery storage facility in Hünfeld. The attachment is used for primary and secondary control and thus supports grid stability. Of particular interest to the students was the modular design of the power electronics with separate inverters for each phase, thus clearly demonstrating an example of modern storage technology related to practice.

Flexible bioenergy in Treischfeld

The group then visited a family-run biogas plant with a combined heat and power plant (CHP) in Treischfeld. There it became clear how the role of bioenergy is changing: away from continuous operation towards a flexible, demand-orientated mode of operation. The students were given an insight into the technical and business challenges of this development.

Heat planning in Geisa and Buttlar

Another specialisation was the municipal heat supply. In Geisa, Mayor Manuela Henkel and Energy Team Leader Olga Antosz provided information on current energy policy challenges and the importance of heating networks for local authorities.

As a degree, Markus Hundertmark presented the municipality's future heating plans in Buttlar. It became clear that the heating transition is primarily a long-term planning and infrastructure task.

Practical insights into the energy transition

The field trip offered students valuable insights into the practical side of the energy transition. In addition to technical attachments, the focus was on the connections between balancing energy, flexibility requirements, heating networks and municipal decisions. The exchange with local authorities, energy suppliers and plant operators impressively demonstrated how important the combination of theory and practice is for the training of future engineers.