Germany's largest transmission operator Tennet Germany observed brief, regular dips in European grid frequency every 60 seconds over several years. A team led by Dirk Witthaut from Forschungszentrum Jülich, with researchers from the University of Cologne and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, identified the cause: large-scale battery storage systems performing synchronized power checks at the start of each minute. The findings, published in Nature Energy, reveal this is a global phenomenon driven by the rapid growth of battery storage worldwide.
Using the Living Lab Energy Campus, researchers installed measuring points at 80 locations and detected identical consumption spikes precisely where battery systems ensure uninterrupted supply. "It quickly became clear the cause must be something controlled by the clock," says Witthaut. With no binding standards for check intervals, most manufacturers defaulted to a 60-second cycle.
These periodic demand spikes already affect hydroelectric turbines, causing momentary speed changes that increase wear. Witthaut warns other digitally controlled appliances — heat pumps, air conditioners, washing machines — may contribute similar patterns, suggesting broader standardization is needed to protect grid infrastructure.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing