Publications of the Project: Ariadne2 - Ariadne joint project: Evidence-based assessment for shaping the German energy transition - DIW Berlin sub-project: Scenario forum, electricity and energy market design, transport transition
Coping with prolonged periods of low availability of wind and solar power, also referred to as variable renewable energy droughts or “Dunkelflaute”, emerges as a key challenge for realizing decarbonized energy systems based on renewable energy. Here we investigate the role of long-duration electricity storage and geographical balancing through transmission in dealing with such events in Europe, combining ...
In:
Nature Communications
17 (2026), 4210, 19 S.
| Martin Kittel, Alexander Roth, Wolf-Peter Schill
Germany’s energy transition relies on variable renewables and electricity use across sectors, and it needs to accelerate. We argue that consistent policy commitments to proven technologies, such as wind and solar power, heat pumps and electric cars are needed.
In:
Communications Earth & Environment
6 (2025), 859, 5 S.
| Wolf-Peter Schill, Adeline Guéret, Alexander Roth, Felix Schmidt
Heat pumps play a major role in decreasing fossil fuel use in heating. They increase electricity demand, but could also foster the system integration of variable renewable energy sources. We analyze three scenarios for expanding decentralized heat pumps in Germany by 2030, focusing on the role of buffer heat storage. Using an open-source power sector model, we assess costs, capacity investments, and ...
In:
Communications Earth & Environment
5 (2024), 718, 12 S.
| Alexander Roth, Carlos Gaete-Morales, Dana Kirchem, Wolf-Peter Schill