With the free app “StromGedacht” users have an insight into the status of the power grid. If the load gets too high, a warning message appears – then everyone can help to prevent overloading. But there is a catch at the moment.
Internet and telephone can fail, but blackouts are not easy to forgive when it comes to the power supply. The free app called “Power Thought” shows what the status of the power grid looks like.
It comes from the transmission system operator TransnetBW and so far only covers Baden-Württemberg. Although anyone can install the app, even in other federal states, you can only see the state of the power grid in BW.
The makers expressly point out that they have not developed a warning app: “StromGedacht is not a warning app. It serves exclusively to raise awareness and prevention and is intended to support the transmission system operators in tense situations in the power grid. For this purpose, information about such situations will be given up to two days in advance. “
The app provides information about the current status of the power grid. If the network operator’s forecast predicts a tense situation for Baden-Württemberg, the app asks your users for help via a push message. StromGedacht then makes concrete suggestions as to which measures you can take to effectively relieve the grid.
The linchpin of the app is a traffic light system: A colored bar shows the course of the day and if everything is colored green there, the power supply is secure and the power grid is in a stable state. Yellow alerts mean that a tense situation in the power grid is predicted. Users are then asked to bring the electricity consumption forward, for example to switch on the washing machine beforehand.
The third state is a red warning: This actually indicates a tense situation in the power grid. By reducing power consumption, users can then make a specific contribution to ensuring that the power supply is not overloaded.
Important: A yellow or red traffic light color does not mean that power cuts are to be expected or that the power grid is unstable. However, it signals that the transmission system operators have to take expensive measures to ensure that the stability of the grid operation is maintained.
The four transmission system operators 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW are responsible for the security and stability of the power grid in Germany. They ensure that there is a balance between power generation and power consumption at all times and that power lines are not overloaded.
