CoSES Research Center

We are a dynamic, international research group at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), specializing in the implementation of sector-coupled energy systems, integrating thermal and electrical grids. Our focus is on the smart management, communication, and control of active distribution grids, as well as 4th & 5th Generation of District Heating & Cooling Networks. At our unique laboratory environment, we feature: • Real Grids: - A bidirectional district heating network with commercial heat equipment for five buildings (150kW installed) - 1.5 km of reconfigurable low-voltage grid with two tap-changing transformers • Real Distributed energy resources (DERs): - photovoltaics, batteries, electric vehicle chargers, heat pumps, - CHPs , gas boilers, and thermal storages • Power-Hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL): - 7 high-bandwidth and precise PHIL prosumer emulators with 250 kVA capacity - Custom-developed PHIL emulation setup for thermal prosumers (150kW) • Real-time control system: - 12 decentralized embedded controllers with a unified real-time programming environment - API interfaces enabling seamless integration with external controllers and energy management systems (EMSs) Our research spans control algorithms, modeling, and simulation, as well as experimental validation and functional testing. We bridge the gap between theory and practice, bringing research as close as possible to field implementation. We are always looking for enthusiastic and motivated partners and students to collaborate with us. People say: “In theory, practice is easy.” – Join us to find out!