Lastbegrenzning

Lastbegrenzing is a set of techniques aimed at keeping electrical load within the limits of a power system, facility, or piece of equipment. It is used to prevent overheating, protect equipment, and maintain voltage and frequency stability during periods of high demand, contingencies, or faults. The goal is to avoid outages and damage by limiting or reducing the amount of power drawn or supplied.

Methods of lastbegrenzing include automatic load shedding, where non-critical loads are disconnected to relieve stress on the system, and load curtailment or soft limiting, where the intensity of power consumption is reduced without full disconnection. Demand response programs may also influence consumption through price signals or control signals to participating customers. In some cases, energy storage or generation-side adjustments are used in combination with load limiting to balance the system.

Implementation combines hardware and control software. Hardware components include circuit breakers, relays, contactors, and power limiters, while software ranges from local controllers to centralized energy management systems and grid SCADA that coordinate switching and throttling. Controls can operate on timescales from milliseconds to minutes and may target specific circuits, buildings, or customer groups, often in coordination with the grid operator.

Applications span utility distribution networks, data centers, industrial facilities, and microgrids. Benefits include enhanced reliability, protection of equipment, and potential cost savings; drawbacks can include interruptions to certain loads and customer dissatisfaction if critical services are affected. See also: load shedding, demand response, curtailment, power management.