RET_2015-01-02-03-04_Flipbook
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Flexibility and demand: a distribution systems operator’s perspective - Joost Gottmer, EU affairs, EDSO for<br />
Smart Grids<br />
more socially-acceptable, as the impact of large constructions on public life and lengthy<br />
permitting procedures is lessened.<br />
1 WHAT IS FLEXIBILITY?<br />
Flexibility can be defined as the ‘modification of generation injection and/or<br />
consumption patterns in reaction to an external signal (price signal or activation) in<br />
order to provide a service within the energy system. The parameters used to<br />
characterise flexibility include the amount of power modulation, the duration, the rate<br />
of change, the response time, the location, etc’ 3 .<br />
Generation – modification of the generation injection itself<br />
Demand – modification of the consumption pattern of the consumer<br />
Storage – the modification of generation injection and/or consumption patterns by<br />
storing it.<br />
2 WHICH ARE THE BENEFITS OF FLEXIBILITY?<br />
2.1 Technical and economic benefits<br />
Flexibility services provided by distributed energy resources could bring a number of<br />
quantifiable benefits at the distribution level, both for DSOs and grid users.<br />
• Optimised distribution network capacity investments: Using flexibility could help<br />
to defer an investment or could solve congestion when infrastructure<br />
reinforcement is not an option. In the first case, the value of flexibility can be<br />
calculated as the avoided return on capital cost over the deferral duration.<br />
• Reduced technical losses: Flexibility services can also help to reduce network<br />
losses that happen during the transport of electricity (kWh) from generators to<br />
consumers. The value of flexibility then corresponds to the amount of electricity<br />
that has not been lost.<br />
• Reduced curtailment of distributed generation and reduced outage times: DSOs<br />
could better control voltage profiles of RES, thereby enabling grid users (e.g. PV<br />
owners) to feed-in more of their energy into the grid. The value represents the<br />
avoided investments and maintenance costs in voltage control.<br />
• Increased distributed generation hosting capacity: By helping to keep the network<br />
stable, flexibility could increase the distributed generation hosting capacity of the<br />
grid. The value represents the avoided investments and maintenance costs in<br />
voltage control.<br />
3<br />
Based on EURELECTRIC definition in Flexibility and Aggregation: Requirements for their interaction<br />
in the market (2<strong>01</strong>4).<br />
Revue E Tijdschrift – 131 ste jaargang/131 e année – n° 1-2-3-4-<strong>2<strong>01</strong>5</strong> (publication mars/publicatie maart 2<strong>01</strong>7)<br />
4