Research Focus: Smart Cities

• Design of a decision support system (DSS) for low and medium voltage grid planning
• Improvement of operational and strategic grid planning

• Stochastic modelling of decentralized generation units focusing on individual buildings
• Probabilistic load flow calculations, complete iteration over all networks in the low / medium voltage layer
• Simulation of cost optimal grid expansion measures using dynamic stochastic programming

• Determination of long-term grid investments for strategic grid planning
• Evaluation of smart-grid technologies for reduction of grid investments
• DSS to streamline processes in operative grid planning

• Determining the optimal business area for free-float carsharing providers

• Data basis: 1 million trips and 180,000 POIs
• Statistical model that utilizes relationships between trips within a specific region and POIs in the vicinity

• Visualization of expected demand in current business area and in prospective expansion areas
• Decision criteria for expansion strategies
• Experiences of the carsharing partner confirm model predictions

• Wagner S, Brandt T, Neumann D: In Free Float: Developing Business Analytics Support for Carsharing Providers Omega - The International Journal of Management Science, 2015. : http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2015.02.011 .

• Explanation of spatial preferences of different population groups according to social network data

• Data basis: 650,000 Tweets and 60,000 POIs
• Estimation of the appeal of different areas within the city through spatial analysis of Twitter activity in the vicinity

• Robust relationships between Twitter acitivity and establishments in the vicinity could be uncovered
• Insights are particularly valuable for market research and the use of location-based services, such as recommendation systems

Publications

• Bendler J, Wagner S, Brandt T, Neumann D: Taming Uncertainty in Big Data - Evidence from Social Media in Urban Areas BISE/WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK Special Issue "Big Data", 2014.
• Bendler J, Brandt T, Wagner S, Neumann D: Investigating Crime-to-Twitter Relationships in Urban Environments – Facilitating a Virtual Neighborhood Watch 2014 (22nd European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2014), Tel Aviv, Israel, June 9-11, 2014).

• Design of Demand Response systems in order to optimize load shifting
• Estimation of cost-benefit-ratio using an aggregated, local view

• Data basis: electricity prices, power demand, Demand Response potential
• Financial optimization model to provide decision support for load shifting 
• Sensitivity analyze to assess the influence of different parameters

• High communication costs exceeding direct financial savings
• Demand Response potential to low to be offered at electricity exchanges → policy adjustments necessary

• Direct load shifting more profitable than other usage scenarios such as control reserve

• Feuerriegel S, Neumann D: Measuring the financial impact of demand response for electricity retailers, Energy Policy, 2014; 65: 359-368.
• Feuerriegel S, Strüker J, Neumann D: Reducing Price Uncertainty through Demand Side Management, 2012 (33rd International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2012), Orlando, Florida, 16-19 December 2012, Completed Research Paper).

• Feuerriegel S, Bodenbenner P, Neumann D: Is More Information Better Than Less? Understanding the Impact of Demand Response Mechanisms in Energy Markets, 2013 (Paper 192, ECIS 2013, 21st European Conference on Information Systems, Utrecht, Netherlands, June 5-8, 2013, Completed Research Paper).

• Design of an Information System to improve electricity usage of households
• Identifying "Green Synergies" between Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology and photovoltaic power

• Data basis: real history of electricity prices, photovoltaic feed-ins, mobility patterns
• Developing several load strategies to optimally charge the battery of electric vehicles in order to prevent electricity purchase
• Sensitivity analyze to assess the influence of different parameters

• Profits from photovoltaic feed-ins exceed those for household consumption and mobility
• Utilizing a V2G hybrid car allows to store electricity from solar sources

• Finding a resulting profit that is equivalent to a 7.500$ subvention for buying electric vehicles with V2G technology

• Brandt T, Feuerriegel S, Neumann D: Shaping a Sustainable Society: How Information Systems Utilize Hidden Synergies between Green Technologies, 2013 (34th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2013), Milan, Italy, 15-18 December 2013, Completed Research Paper).

• Brandt T, Feuerriegel S, Neumann D: A Household-oriented Approach to the Benefits of Vehicle-to-Grid-capable Electric Vehicles, 2013 (11. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik (WI), Leipzig, 2013, Paper 105).

• Identification of optimal locations for charge points in Amsterdam
• Maximization of the expected utilization of the stations

• Data basis: 1.1 million charging events and 61,000 points of interest, such as schools, bars, or museums
• Dynamic model that relates the utilization of a station to POIs in its vicinity
• Enables the estimation of one station's effect of the utilization of surrounding stations

• Visualization of expected utilization (green &rar; high; red &rar; low) within Amsterdam
• Expected utilization adapts when new stations are placed
• Automated placement of charge points according to expected utilization

•  Wagner S, Brandt T, Neumann D: Smart City Planning – Developing an Urban Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles 2014 (ECIS 2014, 22nd European Conference on Information Systems, Tel Aviv, Israel, June 9-11, 2014).
• Wagner S, Brandt T, Neumann D: Business Intelligence in Infrastructure Planning – Maximizing the Utilization of Charging Stations in Urban Setting 2014 (Winter Conference on Business Intelligence (WCBI 2014), Snowbird, Utah, 27 February – 1 March 2014).