Smart grids - The importance of computer science for future energy supply

This contribution outlines the challenges in the fields of computer and information science regarding a future power system. First, the current architecture of the power system is introduced, which basically was designed to support the unidirectional flow of electrical energy from high voltage transportation grids to low voltage distribution grids. The rising amount of decentralized, renewable generation accordingly leads to problems using the full potential of these generation assets while maintaining the stability of the system. The key points of Smart Grids" are introduced to provide understanding regarding ways to address these problems by using information- and communication technologies in context of the power system architecture. By reference to the project "Future Energy Grid" which was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology an approach to structure the long term migration process is elaborated. On the one hand this includes the construction of scenarios to identify the factors of influence regarding this process. On the other hand technological fields and their link towards the domains of the power system represent the structure of a development roadmap. The key points of this roadmap are explained on the basis of three development phases. © 2012 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg."