Advanced technologies and services unlock flexibility potential in energy
In response to the rising electricity demand, Europe’s internal market has undergone significant transformation. Recently, there has been a shift towards decentralised renewable energy generation, variable electricity demand and the electrification of the heating and transport sectors. The resulting energy system is characterised by significant supply fluctuations and increased demand elasticity. This dynamic landscape presents operational challenges, especially for the approximately 2 350 small- and medium-sized distribution system operators (DSOs) who link the physical electricity system and the majority of market transactions. The EU-funded FLEXIGRID project has been established to develop an integrated architecture that effectively manages energy flexibility. This architecture comprises four key layers: market, ICT, grid and customer. “The architecture integrates multiple energy sources and services, a feature that surpasses traditional energy management systems. These include electricity battery storage, electric vehicle charging, demand response and variable generation to create smart grids that can adapt to the dynamic energy landscape while ensuring affordable and secure energy supply,” notes project coordinator Magnus Andersson. “The focus has been to develop and test local market mechanisms to incentivise flexibility, particularly to mitigate network congestion and balance local energy needs.”
Testing technologies in demonstration sites
FLEXIGRID established testing sites across Bulgaria, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey, offering the opportunities to validate innovative energy solutions in diverse market conditions. These conditions helped ensure that project activities are scalable, replicable and facilitate knowledge transfer. Project activities were centred on grid monitoring, control and flexibility intervention and local energy exchanges. The project also focused on blockchain-based energy services and flexibility measures provided by local energy storage and renewable sources.
Holistic approaches to congestion management
The demonstrated technologies include an IoT platform for distribution grids that integrates data from all demonstration sites as well as a congestion forecast tool and a local flexibility market to ease congestion management. Furthermore, “we developed the eFlex peer-to-peer flexibility trading platform using blockchain technology. This system enables DSOs to interact with small prosumers to buy flexibility services to manage grid-related issues such as grid congestion and transformer overload,” highlights Andersson. Other developments within FLEXIGRID included the provision of financial roadmap services, an electric vehicle management platform, a control system offering flexibility services for distributed energy resources, and a guide enabling DSOs to implement flexibility services.
Theoretical advances
In the theoretical realm, project partners developed a number of new tools and algorithms. These included an algorithm regarding the process design for flexibility procurement and dispatch, and a distribution state estimation algorithm that solves the problem of unobservable networks at distribution level. Furthermore, they developed a tool to quantify the availability and certainty of various flexibility resources as well as for the optimal allocation and dispatch of flexibility services. An algorithm for grid reconfiguration and fault-initiated islanding provided a flexible option for DSOs. Ultimately, an advanced battery management algorithm and congestion forecast tool for distribution networks was developed.
Multiple benefits affecting different areas
FLEXIGRID advances affect different areas. By improving the utilisation of the distribution system’s capacity for renewable energy sources, FLEXIGRID solutions enhance flexibility and reduce network congestion. The demonstrated solutions are expected to influence policy decisions and provide valuable case studies for future research. The project ensures the replicability of its solutions to future distribution grids through its financial roadmap services and a step-by-step guide for implementing flexibility solutions. Furthermore, FLEXIGRID paves the way for new funding opportunities related to flexibility services, supporting the continued development and deployment of innovative energy solutions.
Keywords
FLEXIGRID, DSO, distribution grid, distribution grid operators, renewable energy, network congestion, blockchain, peer-to-peer flexibility trading