Even though the energy supply in Germany is generally considered to be very secure, there is always speculation about how energy can be saved effectively. A special measure for this is the brownout, controlled power shutdowns.

Differences – Brownout and Blackout

The biggest difference between a blackout and a brownout lies in the drama and explosiveness. Because while the brownout is controlled, the blackout is uncontrolled and unpredictable. Here in detail:

  • Blackout: A large-scale power outage that is neither planned nor foreseeable. It is not caused by a lack of energy supply, but by many different causes. Kilian Hoffmeister from the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief explained to myHOMEBOOK : “It is a highly complex overall system that can be disrupted by technical and human failure and increasing dangers such as extreme weather events, acts of sabotage or cyber attacks.”
  • Brownout: These are controlled power shutdowns . These may become necessary if there is actually a shortage of electricity or if the amount of electricity demanded is significantly higher than the amount that can be produced, as can be read on the Federal Network Agency's website . For this to happen, there would have to be a shortage of fuel for power plants or a generally low level of electricity generation, for example due to “non-availability of generation plants,” it continues. In such a case, it would then be necessary to reduce demand to such an extent that supply can fully cover demand again.

Complete power shutdown? – What exactly happens?

If the supply and demand for energy were to become very unbalanced, a brownout would be triggered, meaning planned power shutdowns would occur. A possible scenario: Citizens are informed in advance that their power supply will be interrupted. This is a fixed period of time. In addition, according to the Federal Network Agency, not all citizens would be affected immediately. Planned power shutdowns would only occur regionally.

The whole thing is called a “rolling shutdown”, which means that different households would be gradually affected in order to keep the restrictions for each individual as low as possible. However, it is not specified which households in which region would be affected first. Unlike in the gas sector, there are no protected customers or other prioritizations when it comes to electricity supply, according to the Federal Network Agency.

How long does a brownout last?

The scenario described above would continue until demand and supply largely match again. For each individual household, however, the power shutdown would only last a few hours. An exact number is not given, but there is always talk of a maximum duration of 90 minutes.

How likely is a brownout?

The Federal Network Agency's website states this question: “The Federal Network Agency considers the probability that forced, large-scale load reduction will be necessary in the coming winter to be low. The probability becomes lower the more everyone makes a savings contribution in a tense network situation.”

The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief also states that the electricity supply in this country is very safe. Many network operators therefore have numerous reserves and mechanisms that are intended to help stabilize the power network in tense situations.

A brownout would only occur if all of these safety measures were exhausted.

Risks of power shutdowns

According to ZDF, a power outage would have a major impact, even if it didn't last a full day. In road traffic, for example, traffic lights could fail because it is not so easy to prioritize these systems. There could also be major economic damage. This is what happens when people are harmed by power outages.

Making phone calls could also become problematic in the event of a power cut because landline telephones do not work at all without power. But cell phone coverage for cell phone calls could also be affected, as the emergency batteries of the cell phone network would only keep the network running for 30 minutes.  

Ultimately, in addition to all the technical devices in private households, the refrigerators would at least partially defrost and elevators would no longer work. There might even be people who would get stuck. Only hospitals, police stations and fire departments are part of the critical infrastructure. If a brownout is planned, care would be taken to ensure that as little critical infrastructure as possible would be affected, explains energy expert Tobias Frederico on ZDF.

Sources:

myhomebook , Federal Network Agency
Also read our fact checks:
Falling network frequency: Europe close to blackout?
How a photo of a wheel loader is used to create a mood against electric car batteries.
Shark alarm at Alexanderplatz subway station? Funny, but wrong


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