Wärmepumpen entfalten den größten Mehrwert für Endkund*innen und für das Klima, wenn sie intelligent gesteuert und mit anderen Energiegeräten vernetzt werden. Genau das ist das Ziel der Entwicklungspartnerschaft zwischen Kiwigrid und Vaillant. Gemeinsam testen die Partner, wie sich Wärmepumpen am besten in Energiemanagementsysteme (EMS) einbinden lassen. In seinem Testlabor hat Kiwigrid mehrere Wärmepumpen installiert, die dort nicht nur das Gebäude beheizen, sondern auch als Test-Setup für neue Features dienen.

Warum es sich lohnt, eine Wärmepumpe ins EMS zu integrieren

Die Einbindung der Wärmepumpe in ein EMS ermöglicht einen solaroptimierten Betrieb. Das bedeutet, dass die Wärmepumpe automatisch zu Zeiten eingeschaltet wird, wenn die Sonne scheint und die PV-Anlage besonders viel Solarenergie erzeugt.

Homeowners can save energy and costs while making a valuable contribution to climate protection. The CO2 savings in a single-family home with an overall system consisting of a solar system, EV and heat pump can reach up to 80 percent.

Kiwigrid's partnership with Vaillant

As part of the connectivity partnership, Vaillant and Kiwigrid are testing the intelligent integration of heat pumps into Kiwigrid's EMS. To this end, Kiwigrid has installed heat pumps in its test laboratory. Among other things, the use case of solar-optimized operation was successfully implemented. Immediately after the first heat pump was installed, Vaillant employees were on site in Kiwigrid's test laboratory and put the product through its paces in a joint workshop with Kiwigrid. The heat pump will continue to be used to test new features and the results will be shared with Vaillant. At the same time, more and more Vaillant heat pumps are being connected to Kiwigrid's EMS outside the laboratory. The data from the field is also evaluated by Kiwigrid.

Connection of heat pumps via EEBUS

Kiwigrid has many years of experience in the field of heat pump connection. While heat pumps were mainly connected via SG-ready (Smart Grid ready) in older KiwiOS versions, KiwiOS X enables a communication-based connection via EEBUS. EEBUS typifies a communication interface based on standards and norms that are accessible by any device and any technical platform, regardless of manufacturer and technology. Vaillant and Kiwigrid are members of the EEBUS initiative, which is driving forward the development of this communication standard. Vaillant heat pumps are also integrated into Kiwigrid's EMS via the EEBUS interface.

The EEBUS connection offers numerous advantages over other standards. Compared to the SG-Ready connection, which can only process control signals, EEBUS can also read out temperature values. This means that, in addition to PV-optimized control, temperature-based control of heating assets is also possible. Thanks to the high level of technical standardization, other manufacturers can be integrated very easily and the integration effort is reduced enormously.

A look into the future

The PV-optimized control of heat pumps already offers end customers great savings potential today. However, the potential of intelligently integrating a heat pump into the EMS goes far beyond this. In addition to PV-optimized operation, the chance of controlling the heat pump based on price signals arises. In combination with a dynamic electricity tariff, the EMS then ensures that the heat pump is both PV-optimized and preferably operated at times when the electricity price is particularly low.

End customers also have the right to reduce grid charges if they allow grid operators to intervene in the event of an acute threat of grid overload in accordance with Section 14a of the Energy Industry Act (EnWG). The collaboration between Kiwigrid and Vaillant makes these use cases a reality.

In the future, Vaillant heat pumps will not only heat in a PV-optimized way, but will also be intelligently connected to the electricity grid. They will then be able to respond automatically to grid incentives and operate at times when the electricity price is low.

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