FlexLast: An IT-centric solution for balancing the electric power grid

How can energy from renewable sources be integrated in large quantities into the power supply without overwhelming the grid? A collaboration between BKW, the electric utility in the Canton of Bern, IBM, Migros, Switzerland´s largest retailer and supermarket chain, and Swissgrid, the national grid operator is creating a unique solution that applies advanced algorithms to data on the state of the grid and large freezer warehouses to optimize and manage the consumption of power for cooling to help balance the grid. In this paper we describe the architecture of the system and examine the business case required to make this approach feasible.